Philippine Coast Guard chief satisfied with Recto Bank probe results 

SADNESS BEHIND THE SMILES The rescued fishermen, all from San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, with officers of the patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz after they were picked up from a Philippine fishing vessel, FB Thanksgiving. INQUIRER file photo / MADONNA T. VIROLA

DAVAO CITY, Philippines  — Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant Admiral Elson Hermogino is convinced that the results of their investigation on the sinking of a Philippine fishing boat by a Chinese fishing vessel in Recto Bank (Reed Bank) in the West Philippine Sea were “sufficient.”

“On the part of the PCG, we believe that we have done our mandate and we believe our findings are sufficient,” he told reporters Wednesday.

Hermogino said the results are already with Malacañang. He however refused to discuss its contents.

“We leave it up to them whether the findings are sufficient or not,” he said.

“[Prudence] dictates that we let the Office of the President disclose what is the findings of the joint operation body,” he added.

The investigation was conducted by the PCG and Maritime Industry Authority, which are both under Department of Transportation.

Last June 9, a Chinese fishing vessel rammed and sunk a Philippine fishing boat in Recto Bank. The fishing boat’s 22 Filipino crew were abandoned in open sea, and were rescued by Vietnamese fishermen a few hours after.

President Rodrigo Duterte has set aside the decades-long maritime row in exchange of economic investments but the incident renewed diplomatic tensions between the Philippines and China.

In an interview with ABS CBN News Channel, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said the investigation was finished and the Coast Guard report was “exhaustive.”   (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)