IT was hardly noticed because of so many news stories that vied for the people’s attention. But in so many ways, President Duterte’s personally sending off the crew of a detained Vietnamese fishing vessel a week ago was the kind of story that inspires hope and goodwill, at a time when nearly every other story is so discouraging.
The President went out of his way to see the crewmen of a Vietnamese fishing boat which had strayed into Philippine waters last September. Two of the fishermen were killed in the confrontation with the Philippine Navy in the waters off Bolinao, Pangasinan. After a month-long inquiry, government investigators recommended prosecution of the Navy men for the death of the Vietnamese fishermen. But the Vietnamese government said it would not pursue any charges.
“I am sorry for the incident. I hope it never happens again,” President Duterte told the fishermen and Vietnamese Ambassador Ly Quoc Tuan, as he handed bags of food to the fishermen for their return to their homeland.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has just held its annual summit in Manila, with the Philippines as this year’s chairman. It presented a broad united front to the leaders of the United States, China, Australia, and other countries in the many related summits.
There are some points of disagreement among some ASEAN nations – the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia have conflicting claims to some islands in the South China Sea, along with their common stand against China’s claim to virtually the entire sea. But because ASEAN is a brotherhood of nations, there have been no angry or bitter condemnation as in disputes among some nations in other parts of the world.
It was in line with this ASEAN spirit of unity and brotherhood that the Philippines investigated the death of the Vietnamese sailors who had strayed into Philippine waters. And President Duterte himself went to see them off, personally handing them bags of food to sustain them on their way home to Vietnam.
The Vietnamese ambassador told President Duterte that this time of the year is a special one for the Vietnamese and the fishermen will be home in January which is for them a time for family reunions in the lunar new year. “Your order to send them off will surely bring happiness to their families,” he told the President. “They will forever cherish the good treatment that the Philippines had shown them.”
Well, this is also a special time for Filipinos. It is also a time for family reunions as it is the Christmas season of peace and goodwill. We continue to read of risks posed by dengue vaccines, impeachment hearings, continued fighting with the New People’s Army in the hinterlands of Mindanao. But we hope to have more reports of peace and goodwill such as that shown by President Duterte to the Vietnamese in Pangasinan.
