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Owner of Chinese vessel involved in Recto Bank incident apologizes
The owner of the Chinese ship that hit a Filipino fishing vessel in Recto Bank last June has apologized to the affected Filipino fishermen for the incident.
The Philippine Embassy in China on Wednesday tweeted its August 28, 2019 memorandum for Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. containing its translation of a key portion of the apology letter by the Chinese ship's owner.
"The shipowner of the Chinese fishing boat involved, through our association, would like to express his sincere apology to the Filipino fishermen," read an except of the English translation of the letter of apology.
— DFA Philippines (@DFAPHL) August 28, 2019
"We believe that, although this accident was an unintentional mistake of the Chinese fishermen, the Chinese fishing boat should however take the major responsibility in the accident. The Philippine side is requested to file a specific appeal for civil compensation based on the actual loss," it added.
A tweet by GMA News' Joseph Morong said presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo has confirmed the apology letter to the Filipino fishermen.
Pres’l Spox Salvador Pnelo confirms apology letter of China to Filipino fishermen in Reed Bank incident @gmanews
— Joseph Morong ???????? (@Joseph_Morong) August 28, 2019
The Chinese vessel left the area after the June 9 incident, and the 22 crew members of the floundering FB Gem-Vir 1 were left stranded for four hours until a passing Vietnamese vessel rescued them.
The apology comes as President Rodrigo Duterte is set to visit China where he said he would raise the June 9 incident, among others, in his meeting with Chinese leaders.
China, which proposed a joint investigation on the ramming, said the Chinese vessel had not intended to leave the Filipinos, but was forced to sail away for fear of being besieged by several other Filipino boats near the area – a claim belied by the fishermen.
Duterte said in late June that he had already received the preliminary investigation report by the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard regarding the ramming.
He also apologized to the fishermen but maintained his view that it was nothing but a "maritime incident."
Duterte is set to leave the Philippines for China on Wednesday afternoon. —KBK, GMA News
