Duterte urged to issue 'national condemnation' of Reed Bank incident

Opposition lawmakers from the House of Representatives on Thursday condemned the acts of a Chinese fishing vessel that rammed and sank a Filipino boat off the coast of Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea.

In a statement, Anakpawis party-list Representative Ariel Casilao urged President Rodrigo Duterte to personally issue a national condemnation over the incident, which threatened the lives of 22 Filipino crewmen who were left behind at the collision scene.

"We demand that President Duterte rally the Filipino people against the act via an executive issuance of a national condemnation," Casilao said.

He added that the incident "sends a chilling message that the government, the armed forces are helpless and useless to secure the safety of its citizens and national territory."

Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano said that the actions of the Chinese vessel show that it really intended to do harm to the Filipino crewmen.

"It is aimed to send a message to the rest to keep off the West Philippine Sea. The said Chinese vessel involved in the incident that happened inside the Philippines’ EEZ could be part of China's Maritime Militia organized to pursue China's objectives in South China Sea," he said.

While the Filipino fishermen should not back down, the government should also provide them with the support they need, Alejano said.

"I call on our government forces to increase means to monitor the West Philippine Sea particularly our fishermen during times of emergency. Large Filipino fishing vessels must be provided with communication equipment to ensure direct contact with our Coast Guard and Navy," he said.

"Fishermen fishing in the West Philippine Sea must also be provided training by our Coast Guard or Navy for any contingency at sea instead of advising them not to sail in our waters," he added.

For his part, Akbayan party-list Representative Tom Villarin said it is "highly irresponsible" for the Chinese government through its maritime militia to hit the Filipino boat.

He said the incident indeed is a "cause for alarm and international condemnation," considering that it occurred no less than on the Philippine Independence Day.

"It’s an incident bound to happen and will happen again if government will not assert our rights and legitimate claims in the West Philippine Sea," Villarin said.

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate, meanwhile, urged the Philippine government to coordinate with its Vietnamese and Malaysian counterparts to help boost the coast guard patrols in the West Philippine Sea.

"Joint patrols with Vietnam and Malaysia as well as other claimants of areas in the South China Sea can be arranged so as to prevent further aggression from China," he said.

Malacañang has already called for an investigation into the incident and the imposition of sanctions against the Chinese crew. —KBK, GMA News