MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government should pursue a civil claim for damages incurred in the incident which left 22 Filipino fishermen in peril when a Chinese vessel hit their boat, Senator Francis Tolentino said.
Tolentino, vice chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, issued this statement on Wednesday after the owner of the Chinese vessel involved in the sinking of the Filipino boat finally issued an apology more than two months after the incident.
READ: Two months later, Chinese shipowner apologizes for ‘accident’ with PH boat
“The apology coming from the Chinese side, while two months late, shows the validity of the Philippine version of the incident,” the senator said.
“We should pursue our civil claim for damages to give justice to our fishermen as well as seek other routes to protect them in the future hand in hand with our sovereign rights,” he further said.
The letter containing the apology of the Chinese shipowner was coursed to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. through a memorandum posted by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Twitter.
Part of the translated letter, supposedly from a Chinese association, urged the Philippine side “to file a specific appeal for civil compensation based on the actual loss.”
“Our Association will urge the shipowner of the fishing boat involved to actively coordinate with the Philippine side to expedite the latter’s claim for compensation according to the procedures for insurance claims,” the letter further read. /je