Duterte: Chinese Coast Guard, Filipino fishermen engaged in ‘barter’ at Scarborough

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday affirmed China’s belief that its Coast Guard and the Filipinos who were fishing at the Panatag Shoal (popularly known as Scarborough) and whose catch were taken away were engaged in “barter.”

“[The incident] was a barter in exchange for fish... it was not an outright seizure,” Duterte said in a speech during the 120th celebration of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City.