MANILA, Philippines — “What do you expect from a Cabinet member?”
This was what Senator Panfilo Lacson replied to questions seeking for his comment on Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s latest statement that the sinking of a Filipino fishing boat by a Chinese vessel in the West Philippine Sea was an “accident.”
“Nagsalita na ang Pangulo, ‘pag kinontra mo Pangulo na nakapagsalita na, medyo intindihin rin natin ang position ni Sec. Lorenzana,” Lacson also said during the Kapihan sa Senado on Wednesday.
The senator though noted that it was Lorenzana who first spoke about the incident and even strongly condemned the abandonment of 22 Filipino fishermen whose boat was rammed by a Chinese vessel at Recto (Reed) Bank last June 9.
READ: Chinese vessel abandons PH boat after collision
“And it triggered this whole controversy because siya (Lorenzana) na rin nagsabi in so many words na intentional. So nagkaroon ng further information flowing it at lumabas na mukhang intentional,” Lacson pointed out.
“Kung hindi man intentional, at the very least the act of abandonment is a criminal act,” he added.
In another forum in Manila also on Wednesday, Lorenzana called the sinking of Gem-Vir 1 an accident.
“I think it’s just an accident based on the information we got from the crew. Siguro hindi sinasadya ng kabila na nasagi nila (I think it was unintentional),” he said.
Lorenzana though stood by his condemnation of the incident.
“My denouncing stays. I denounce the ship captain for abandonment… If you read my [statement], collision ang nakalagay dun hindi ko sinabi na binangga because I was very careful because ‘di natin alam,” he said.
READ: Lorenzana: Sinking of Filipinos’ fishing boat an accident
(Editor: Katherine G. Adraneda)