The Daily Manila Shimbun

Monday, 24 February 2025

 

Lorenzana wants Chinese to compensate 22 Filipino fishermen over Recto Bank boat sinking incident

September 14, 2019



National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has demanded compensation from and sanctions against the master and crew of the Chinese vessel that rammed a Filipino fishing boat in Recto Bank last June.

The demand was contained in Lorenzana's statement, which was read by Defense Undersecretary Cardozo Luna in a forum in Makati City on Friday.

According to the Defense chief, failure by the Chinese fishermen to render assistance to the 22 Filipinos was a violation of the Declaration of Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Safety of Life at Sea.

"The Philippine government needs to exhaust all available legal and diplomatic remedies for the government of China to require reparation from and institute sanctions to the master and crew of the Chinese vessel that hit F/B Gem-ver while anchored in Recto Bank," he added.

According to Lorenzana, "under UNLOS Article 97, the Chinese government has penal jurisdiction over the master or crew of the ship flying its flag."

"Our government needs China's cooperation to pursue civil action on the incident that caused serious damage to F/B Gem-ver and nearly the loss of life of 22 fishermen left at sea," he said.

Aside from reparation and sanctions, Lorenzana said the Philippine government "must advocate for moral responsibility and press on China that its gray zone operations, which have become the 'new normal' in the South China Sea, endanger the safety and life of fishermen and escalate tension in the region."

The Defense secretary made the statement despite the apology made by the owner of the Chinese vessel through China's Guangdong Fishery Mutual Insurance Association.

Lorenzana recalled that the apology to the Filipino fishermen was made public by the Department of Foreign Affairs on August 28 when President Rodrigo Duterte was about to set foot in China for his fifth official visit.

The Filipino fishermen who were striving to survive on the night of June 9 were rescued by a Vietnamese fishing vessel that happened to pass by.

Lorenzana said the presence of Chinese and Vietnamese fishing vessels in Recto Bank constitute poaching.

"The presence of both Chinese and Vietnamese fishing vessels in Recto Bank constitute poaching under section 91 of Republic Act 10654 (An act to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing)," he said.

"A violation of which amounts to an administrative fine of US$600,000 to US$1,000,000 or its equivalent in Philippine currency," he added. Robina Asido/DMS