Malacañang yesterday assured that the Philippines is not a slave of China and said that President Duterte is just being cautious before making any statement about the Recto Bank incident.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo made the statement after Felix dela Torre, the owner of the sunken F/B Gem-Ver fishing boat, said that he feels that Filipinos have no right in their own territory. “Parang alipin po tayo ng China. Parang wala tayong karapatan sa sarili nating nasasakupan,” Dela Torre said.
Dela Torre’s boat sank after it was hit by a Chinese vessel while it was anchored near the Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea early this month. The 22 Filipinos who were in the boat were allegedly abandoned by the Chinese vessel and were rescued by a Vietnamese vessel three hours later.
Panelo said that the Philippines is not China’s slave, and that issues of sovereignty is off the table. “Siyempre, the response is we can never be slaves to anyone…That includes every country in the world,” he said.
Malacañang has condemned the abandoning of the 22 Filipino fishermen, calling it barbaric and inhumane. However, the captain of the Chinese vessel denied they were abandoned.
“We are responsible. We are cautious, the President is,” Panelo said.
“As I said, the President, as a lawyer and as President, will have to wait for all the facts to set in before he makes a declaration or any move,” he added.
The Palace official said that Malacañang is not doubting the statement of the fishermen and said that its anger about the abandonment will stay until China proves that their vessel did not abandon the Filipino fishing crew. (Argyll Geducos)
