Senator Edgardo Angara
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Edgardo Angara on Tuesday cautioned the government against further aggravating the dispute with China over the Scarborough Shoal (Panatag shoal).
Angara issued the warning amid the blame-game that followed last week’s ramming of a Philippine fishing vessel allegedly by a Chinese vessel off the West Philippine Sea.
The incident, which left one person dead and four missing, came as China and the Philippines maintain a tense standoff over the Scarborough Shoal.
“We should first verify if China was indeed responsible for this incident to avoid inflaming territorial tensions which could dampen our efforts to resolve the issue diplomatically,” said Angara.
Angara is the vice-chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Earlier, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that one of the survivors of the accident claimed that it was a Chinese vessel that rammed their fishing boat.
However, the information could not be verified since the survivor later said that he did not see the vessel’s name or what nationality were those on board the ships.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) authorities clarified that they suspect that it was a Hong Kong-registered 195-meter bulk carrier MV Peach Mountain.
The vessel, which was returning to China from Indonesia, might be involved in the accident, the PCG said.
“Whoever is answerable for the death of the Filipino fisherman must be held liable. We cannot allow anyone, even China, to bully us in our own territory,” said Angara said.
“Nonetheless, we must not give up on the possibility of resolving this territorial dispute–and others we are embroiled in–in a peaceful manner, without jeopardizing our country’s best interests,” he added.
The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines earlier expressed their displeasure over the belated report and claimed that they had no information that any of their ships were involved in a sea accident in the Philippines.
The Philippines and China have been having territorial disputes over territories in the West Philippine Sea, particularly the Scarborough shoal. Angara had earlier revealed ancient maps which he claimed disproves China’s claim over the territory and proves that the shoal belongs to the Philippines.