Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Malacañang assured Vietnam on Monday that the Philippine government was conducting an impartial investigation on the death of two Vietnamese fishermen in an encounter with the Philippine Navy in the West Philippine Sea over the weekend.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) was closely coordinating with the Vietnamese Embassy in Manila regarding the incident.
“Authorities are now conducting a fair and thorough investigation into the incident involving a Philippine Navy vessel and Vietnamese fishing boats which were seen fishing 34 nautical miles off Cape Bolinao in Pangasinan well within (the Philippine’s) exclusive economic zone,” Abella said in a Palace briefing.
Two Vietnamese fishermen died and five others were detained in an encounter with the Philippine Navy in the West Philippine Sea on Saturday morning.
“The incident led to the death of two Vietnamese nationals and the DFA is closely coordinating with the officials of the Vietnamese Embassy in Manila to update them on the developments and to facilitate their access to the five other Vietnamese fishermen taken into custody by the Philippine Navy,” Abella said.
Bolinao Mayor Arnold Celeste said the five Vietnamese fishermen were being held at the Bolinao police jail.
The encounter between the Philippine Navy and the Vietnamese fishermen came three days after the Navy detained a Vietnamese fishing vessel manned by 5 Vietnamese fishermen for poaching in the waters of Zambales on September 20. /cbb