Philippines protests Chinese vessel's sinking of Filipino boat
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government has filed a diplomatic protest over the collision between a Chinese and Filipino fishing vessels, which sank the latter.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. confirmed that he "fired off a diplomatic protest" Wednesday, the same day that Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana released a statement on the issue. The incident occurred at Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea on June 9.
Locsin responded to the statement of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who urged the DFA chief to refer the incident to the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which the Philippines and China are both state parties to.
"The Maritime Safety Committee of the IMO is it; but, Sonny, that I will proceed on the merits of the case and what it calls for while the matter is studied by the IMO," Locsin said on Twitter.
Thanks, meanwhile I fired off a diplomatic protest yesterday. The Maritime Safety Committee of the IMO is it; but, Sonny, that I will proceed on the merits of the case and what it calls for while the matter is studied by the IMO. Even our ally failed us in Scarborough, remember? https://t.co/IUbxiv1rRs
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) June 13, 2019
What did not prevent what the Chinese vessel did to our Filipino fishermen was the politeness to the point of servility and subservience that I threw away when I came in with my foreign policy of friend to friends, enemy to enemies and worse enemy to false friend. https://t.co/sgQOJ4g321
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) June 13, 2019
Locsin earlier said he would take his cue from Lorenzana, who condemned the "cowardly action" of the Chinese fishing vessel and its crew for abandoning the Filipino fishermen as their boat was sinking.
"We call for the conduct of a formal investigation on the matter and for diplomatic steps be taken to revent a repeat of this incident," Lorenzana said.
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