MANILA: Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino on Wednesday urged the National Security Council (NSC) to convene and demand compensation from the People’s Republic of China for the damage sustained by two Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessels rammed by Chinese Coast Guard ships in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal last Monday.
Tolentino said what happened is “unacceptable” and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should lodge a diplomatic protest.
“I hope that has been filed already,’ Tolentino said in a news release.
‘The Philippines should also file a claim for damages. Under Part 15 of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), the owner of the ship, whether state-owned or private, can be held accountable for what happened,’ he added.
Convening of the NSC, Tolentino said, will allow the country to formulate a more focused response in this “one of the highest forms of aggravated maritime intentional allision and collision.’
Tolentino further said the incident puts into question the since
rity and seriousness of China in the Bilateral Consultative Meeting mechanism with the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Tolentino said he is planning to suggest to the Office of the Solicitor General and the Department of Justice, during their budget deliberations, to create a specialized team of lawyers that will handle maritime cases, which he foresees will recur in the coming years.
PCG ships BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410) and BRP Cape Engaño (MRRV-4411 were on a resupply mission to Patag and Lawak Islands on Aug. 19 when they were rammed CCG vessels.
The incident followed the Aug. 8 flare-dropping of Chinese jet fighters near the flight path of a Philippine Air Force NC-212i aircraft conducting a routine maritime patrol over Bajo de Masinloc.
Source: Philippines News agency
