UPDATE: PH vessel sinks in collision with Chinese ship on disputed waters
Credit to Author: DEMPSEY REYES| Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2019 09:20:47 +0000
A FILIPINO fishing vessel sank after it collided with a Chinese ship in the area of the West Philippine Sea, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Wednesday.
In a statement, Lorenzana said the “F/B GIMVER 1 was anchored at the time when it was hit by the Chinese fishing vessel” near the Recto Bank, also known as the Reed Bank, on June 9.
The Defense chief said that the Chinese fishing vessel left the scene “immediately,” leaving the 22 Filipino crewmen of the F/B Gimver 1 “to the mercy of the elements.”
A Vietnamese fishing vessel, which was in the area at the time of the incident, rescued the Filipino fishermen whom they ferried to Palawan in coordination with the military’s Western Command (WesCom), which is tasked to monitor the disputed waters.
The Philippine Navy’s BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) was ordered to assist in the recovery of the sunken ship and all its crewmen.
“We thank the captain and crew of Vietnamese vessel, for saving the lives of the 22 Filipino crew. However, we condemn in the strongest terms the cowardly action of the Chinese fishing vessel and its crew for abandoning the Filipino crew,” Lorenzana said.
“This is not the expected action from a responsible and friendly people,” he said.
Lorenzana also called for the conduct of a formal investigation on the matter and suggested that diplomatic steps should be taken “to prevent a repeat of this incident.”
The incident came almost a week after special envoy to China Ramon Tulfo announced in his column at The Manila Times that the 100 Chinese vessels near Pag-asa (Thitu) Island had withdrawn.
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