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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH should demand compensation from China for damaged PCG ships, Tolentino says

PH should demand compensation from China for damaged PCG ships, Tolentino says

Published Aug 21, 2024 07:04 am

Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino expressed his belief that the Philippine government should demand compensation from the People's Republic of China for the damages sustained by two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) patrol vessels rammed by Chinese Coast Guard ships in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal.

BRP Cape Engaño.jpg
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship BRP Cape Engaño sustains a hole with a diameter of 1.10 meters located on the starboard quarter after colliding with a China Coast Guard vessel in Escoda Shoal on Aug. 19, 2024. (Photo courtesy  of PCG)

“What happened in Escoda Shoal is unacceptable. The next step is for the DFA to lodge a diplomatic protest, I hope that has been filed already,” said Tolentino in an interview with Teleradyo on Tuesday.

“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,” added the chair of the Senate Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones.

PCG ships BRP Bagacay (MRRV-4410) and BRP Cape Engaño (MRRV-4411) were en route to Patag (Flat) Island and Lawak (Nanshan) Island to bring supplies to troops guarding the Philippine-occupied features when they were subjected to “unlawful and aggressive maneuvers” by the China Coast Guard, according to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS).


Tolentino said he intends to bring up during the budget hearing of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) his proposal for the creation of a specialized team of lawyers that will handle maritime cases, which he foresees will recur in the coming years.

“The OSG and DOJ should create a specialized team of maritime lawyers to handle these cases. The ramming incident in Escoda won't be the last. We cannot assign this task to fiscals, because these cases involve specialized aspects of international law and maritime law,” he explained.

Tolentino also reiterated his position that it is high time for the President to convene the National Security Council (NSC). 

“I reiterate my plea to the President to convene the NSC, because what happened was an aggravated action. The convening of the NSC will allow the country to formulate a more focused response. We can get the opinion of the Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, and DFA. This [incident involves] one of the highest forms of aggravated maritime intentional allision and collision,” the senator stressed.

He further noted that the incident puts into question the sincerity and seriousness of China in the Bilateral Consultative Meeting (BCM) mechanism with the Philippines. 

“China must show its sincerity in negotiating with the Philippines. We just concluded the talks on Ayungin Shoal, and this happened,” lamented the senator, who has strongly advocated for multilateral mechanisms to resolve the issues between the Philippines and China.

“The rhetorics must stop. We should file the necessary cases,” he concluded.

Tolentino is the principal author and sponsor of the proposed Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act. 

The two landmark measures, the senator said, will lay the foundation for Philippine foreign policy with respect to the West Philippine Sea amid the more frequent and aggressive actions of China.

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Senator Francis Tolentino Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Escoda Shoal
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