PCG-Marina report enough to sue Chinese perpetrators – fisherfolk group
Manila, Philippines – One month after the Recto Bank incident, the activist fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) said the incident report of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) which proves that the Chinese vessel did intentionally ram a fishing vessel carrying 22 Filipino fishermen should be used in court to sue the Chinese perpetrators.
In a statement, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson said that “with the result of the PCG-Marina investigation, there is no need for a joint probe between China and the Philippines, which the Duterte administration has been pushing through, because we already have sufficient information to hold the Chinese perpetrators accountable for almost killing our poor, helpless fishermen inside our own territory,”
“The PCG-Marina incident report says it all; the Chinese vessel intentionally rammed and abandoned our fishermen where they could have been killed if not for the Vietnamese fishermen who rescued them. This is enough evidence to bring the Chinese perpetrators to justice even without a one-sided Philippines-China joint probe in favor to the offenders,” Hicap, former Anakpawis Party-list solon added.
The fisherfolk group slated President Rodrigo Duterte for whitewashing the incident by twisting the whole story that the sinking was nothing but a “little maritime accident”, and by pushing for a joint investigation that will put the Filipino fishers at a disadvantage.
“It’s been exactly one month after the violence in Recto Bank happened, and yet justice for the fishermen victims has yet to be served. We haven’t heard any concrete action from the government on how will they hold the Chinese perpetrators accountable and it even allows China to exploit our waters. Chinese poachers and vessels are still present in our exclusive economic zone, threatening the Filipino fishers to return to their livelihood,” added Hicap.
“We demand justice for our fishers immediately for them to recover from the traumatic experience in the sea and return to their livelihood peacefully,” ended Hicap. ###
