Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino urged the Philippine government to convene the National Security Council (NSC), and to demand compensation for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ships rammed by Chinese Coast Guard vessels within the vicinity of Escoda Shoal on Monday.
In a press release on Wednesday, Tolentino expressed his frustration on the recent incident, saying that what happened is unacceptable. He added that the People’s Republic of China should be held accountable for the damages sustained by the two vessels; and that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should lodge for a diplomatic protest.
"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 said.
Tolentino foresees that incidents like such have a high possibility of recurring in the coming years, and is planning to propose the creation of a specialized team of maritime lawyers to handle such cases in the country.
"We cannot assign this task to fiscals, because these cases involve specialized aspects of international law and maritime law," Tolentino stressed.
He intends to discuss his proposal during the budget hearing of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Furthermore, the senator reiterated his plea to the President to convene the NSC, as the incident between the two coast guard ships was an ‘aggravated action’. He added that convening the NSC will allow the country to formulate a precise plan, as opinions from the Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, and DFA will be considered.
He also questioned the sincerity and seriousness of China in the Bilateral Consultative Meeting (BCM) negotiation with the Philippines. The incident happened after their negotiation on Ayungin Shoal concluded.
"The rhetorics must stop. We should file the necessary cases," The senator ended.
Tensions within the West Philippine Sea have escalated since the frequent and aggressive attacks of Chinese Coast Guards towards Filipino fisherfolks and personnel. The Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act was authored and sponsored by Tolentino to protect and declare the entitlements of the Philippines over its maritime zones, including exercising one’s right of archipelagic sea lanes passage.
