'Mang Arnel' Trends On X After Filipino Fisherman Circles Chinese Vessel In Protest

A Filipino fisherman who was chased away by Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) speed boats at the disputed Scarborough Shoal trended on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday night as users hailed his bravery for even circling a huge CCG vessel after the chase.

GMA Integrated News correspondent Raffy Tima, who previously posted a video of the incident, posted another video earlier Tuesday that showed the aftermath of the chase.

In the latest footage, the boat of the fisherman, Arnel Satam, could be seen making its way to the CCG's 3105 ship and circling the massive vessel.

Tima said Satam circled the vessel "in an apparent show of protest right after the chase." As Satam sped around the Chinese ship, his mother boat that carried other Filipino fisherfolk sailed near the vessel.

The first video posted by Tima showed Satam being chased by two Chinese speedboats. At one point, one speedboat appeared to have a near-collision with Satam's boat.

Users on the social media platform hailed Satam's bravery in the face of a bigger and stronger foe.

Dr. Paul J. Sullivan, former full professor at the National Defense University (USA), said the Philippine government should give the fisherman "a medal for courage."

User @BoycottHegemony called Satam a "brave warrior."

Retired Judge Antonio Carpio, former associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, said Satam "is a hero in my book."

"In a world of Duterte's, be a Mang Arnel," wrote user @nothanksfrankie, seemingly alluding to ex-president Rodrigo Duterte's statement ahead of the 2016 Philippine presidential elections that he would ride a jet ski at Scarborough Shoal and install a Filipino flag at the disputed territory.

Duterte has since said his jet ski remark was just a campaign joke and people who believed his statements during the campaign were "stupid."

"Mang (Mr.) Arnel" was a trending topic in the Philippines on X Tuesday, with many users saluting Satam's actions that appear to have triggered Filipinos to become more vocal about their stance regarding the territorial dispute.

"Watching him outmaneuver the godless commies on what appears to be a makeshift boat was simply Maverick!" one user said.

Another user said Satam and his crew must be protected "at all cost."

"No heroic talks. No heroic T-shirts. Just MANG ARNEL," user @jojoniumx said.

On Facebook, Tima's post of the new footage featuring Satam's circling of the Chinese ship has also started getting attention. Facebook users have started resharing the video, which has gained more than 19,000 views as of writing.

The rallying of social media users over Satam's brave move came as tensions between the Philippines and China escalated in recent days following the Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) discovery of a floating barrier at the disputed shoal that the Philippines calls Bajo De Masinloc or Panatag Shoal and China calls Huangyan Dao.

The PCG has since removed the floating barrier that it said was installed by Chinese maritime militia last week and was keeping Filipino fisherfolk from fishing in the area. Beijing responded, warning Manila not to "stir up trouble."

China lays claim to virtually the entire South China Sea and further reiterated its claims through a new map that now has a 10-dash line and includes parts of the east side of Taiwan and two areas disputed by India. Beijing's earlier maps featured an infamous 9-dash line.

The Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam also have overlapping claims in parts of the South China Sea. The Scarborough Shoal, which is around 200 kilometers (124 miles) off the Philippines, is located within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

A 2016 international arbitral court ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines after the smaller Southeast Asian country challenged China's territorial claims. Beijing has repeatedly rejected the ruling and has been, for years, expanding activities in the disputed waters.