MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government should “stick to its strongest position” and not “build China’s defenses for them,” Senator Richard Gordon said Thursday.
“Our strongest position right now in our quest for justice is that everybody agrees that they were abandoned. Let us not build China’s defenses for them,” Gordon said in a statement.
The senator pointed out that even the Vietnamese that rescued the Filipino fishermen corroborated the accounts of the fishermen that they were really abandoned.
He said the government should task the Chinese to explain the abandonment.
“They have not even explained to us yet and we’re telling them that we’re changing our minds that it was intentional. That’s not the point,” Gordon said.
“At the rate this is going, we might end up with the poor Filipino fishermen admitting that they were really trying to commit suicide,” he added.
Gordon issued the statement after Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, in a press conference on Wednesday, “concluded” for the fishermen that the boat’s captain was no longer sure if the incident was intentional or accidental.
READ: Ramming of PH vessel intentional or accident? Boat captain now unsure
He also pointed out that what the fishermen need are justice and respect from China, not the government trying to appease them through “gifts.”
Gordon noted the gifts only cheapen and exploit the vulnerability of the fishers and simply show utter disrespect for their dignity and condition. (Editor: Katherine G. Adraneda)