De Lima to Duterte: Why the silence over Reed Bank incident?

Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Friday criticized the silence of President Rodrigo Duterte on the abandonment of 22 Filipino crew whose boat was reportedly hit by a Chinese vessel in the waters off Reed Bank in the West Philippine Sea.

“President Duterte himself met this issue with his trademark deafening silence in the face of Chinese aggression and misconduct,” De Lima said in a handwritten note from her detention cell at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center.

“Gising na po, Ginoong Duterte. Ipagtanggol mo naman po ang mga Pilipino,” she added.

The President made no mention of the issue in his speech in General Santos City Thursday but his presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo already said Duterte was ‘outraged’ over the incident, adding that the Philippines is ready to sever diplomatic ties with China if it is established that the sinking  of a Filipino fishing boat was a result of a collision with a Chinese vessel.

De Lima also hit Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. for allegedly jumping to the defense of the Chinese by contradicting claims of intentionality on the part of the Chinese by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and various other experts on naval and maritime relations.

“These are not the reactions that we need and deserve from our President and top diplomat. This sends an unfortunate message to the world that we tolerate injustice from China against our own people,” she said.

“Nasaan na ang tapang na pinakita nila Duterte at Locsin laban sa Canada? Nasaan na yung pull-out ng mga diplomat natin sa China? Nasaan na ang mga pagmumura sa entablado at sa Twitter ng ating magigiting na mga pinuno? Nasaan na ang mga tapang ng mga nagtutulak sa ROTC? Bakit tila tahimik sila ngayong may klarong pag-abuso na?” she asked.

GMA News Online has sought a reaction from Panelo but he has yet to reply as of posting time.

Locsin earlier said he has already filed a diplomatic protest over the incident. 

The senator said apologists of China would argue that it is a matter between non-State actors and that it would be sufficient that the Chinese government merely sanction the operators of the Chinese vessel but it is not enough.

“A clear injustice has been done and the Chinese fishermen committed a crime against our countrymen. We should demand that they be brought here for prosecution. We should hold the Chinese government responsible for the actions of their vessels operating within our EEZ (exclusive economic zone),” she said.

She said the Philippines should not cower in seeking justice because it has been done before and the country even won the case filed before the International Court of Arbirtration.

“Kailangan magkaroon ng imbestigasyon diyan upang pagbayarin ang mga may sala at alamin kung: 1) intensyonal ba ang nangyaring banggaan; at 2) ano ba talaga ang ginagawa ng mga Tsino sa ating EEZ? Baka naman kaya sila nagmamadali ay dahil may tinatago sila,” she said.

“It is possible, even probable, that the Chinese vessel was engaged in some unlawful activities, such as smuggling or poaching, during the incident, which could have influenced their decision to abandon our fishermen,” she added. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News