MalacaƱang said yesterday that the Chinese fishermen who abandoned 22 Filipino fishermen after their boat was hit near Recto Bank last month should be held liable for leaving them behind.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo made the statement after the Philippine Coast Guard and Maritime Industry Authority said in their joint report that the Chinese vessel failed to take measures to prevent the accident from happening.
In a radio interview, Panelo said that it is obvious that the Chinese fishermen abandoned the Filipino fishers, thus, it would only be natural that they are held liable.
āDapat lang siguro, eh kung kasalanan nila yung aksidente. Ibig sabihin may negligence,ā he said.Ā āAng sigurado dun ay āyung iniwan nila. Eh dapat managot sila dun,ā he added.
Panelo said that Malacanang will now wait for the results of the investigation of the Chinese government.Ā āTingnan natin yung findings nung Chinese kung ano naman ang kanilang findings, kasi kung aaminin na nila na nagkamali yung crew nila, dapat managot sila,ā he said.
āKung they are willing to pay the compensation for whatever damage done saka kung ano pang danyos na na-suffer ng ating fishermen, eh dapat alamin na rin natin sa kanila kung ano ang stand nila. Otherwise, didemanda natin sila āyung mga crew,ā he added.
Panelo, who is also President Duterteās chief presidential legal counsel, said the crew of the Chinese vessel can face criminal charges for the incident.
āMay violation sila sa pag-iwan ng mga crew, syempre nagkaroon ng danyos, pwedeng may criminal offense, reckless imprudence resulting to damages,ā he said.Ā āAng problema, unang-una, hindi natin alam sino ba idedemanda natin. Kailangan ma-identify natin yung kapitan ng crew saka āyung crew. Otherwise sino ang idedemanda natin, puro John Doe?ā he added.
Meanwhile, senators said on Saturday that the government should now work on giving justice to the 22 Filipino fishermen abandoned by the Chinese fishing boat, following the release of the report.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the government should take actions to hold the Chinese crew accountable for the incident.Ā āPerhaps a prosecutor body like the Department of Justice can do that,ā Sotto said.
Sotto also said that the report āfortifies my original suggestion of strengthening the Philippine Coast Guard not only for safety and monitoring our seas but also to be able to strictly implement the laws, rules, and regulations at seas.ā
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said that the government should file charges against the erring Chinese crew to avoid a repeat of such incident.
āThe fact is very clear iniwan sila na halos mamatay doon sa laot at ādi sila tinulungan ng nakabangga at di rin nagtangkang tulungan sila, umalis na lang. In other words kailangan makamit ang hustisya at gamitin ang report at magfile na tayo ng kaso sa mga bumangga sa ating mangingisda,ā Gatchalian said. (Argyll Geducos and Vanne Terrazola)