DFA: No PHL apology necessary for incident with Chinese ship - Nation - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News
KIMBERLY TAN, GMA News
10/20/2011 | 08:34 PM
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday said there is no need for the Philippine government to issue an apology for the Navy's accidental ramming of a Chinese vessel earlier this week.
No apologies were necessary and none was given," Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in an interview on Thursday.
He issued the statement after the Department of National Defense said that Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexandar Pama immediately ordered the Navy to send an apology to the Chinese Embassy after it accidentally rammed a Chinese vessel which was towing smaller boats off Reed Bank in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) on Tuesday morning.
"I think there was already an apology to the Chinese Embassy here in Manila. It's in the form of incident information to the Chinese Embassy here. At the same time, we are saying that the damage is not intentional. The minor incident was unfortunate, that was a result of unforeseen circumstances," said Defense spokesman Zosimo Paredes.
Secretary del Rosario also said there was no need for the apology because it was the Chinese vessel that veered into Philippine territory.
As I understand it, there was a Chinese fishing vessel towing 35 unmanned dinghies that strayed in our waters," he said.
No casualties
Earlier, Paredes explained the Navy ship BRP Rizal was patrolling Reed Bank when it spotted a Chinese fishing vessel Tuesday morning suspected of poaching.
He said BRP Rizal encountered a problem with its steering mechanism and got entangled with one of the small boats, which then resulted in the accidental ramming.
Paredes said there were no casualties.
The disposition of the small boats left will be in accordance with a legal process," said del Rosario.
The Philippine government has maintained that the Reed Bank is part of the Kalayaan municipality in western Palawan, the territory within the Spratly Islands claimed by the country.
The Reed Bank is about 80 nautical miles west of southwestern Palawan province and is within the country's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, according to the DFA.
Both China and the Philippines are claimants to the disputed Spratlys, a chain of islands and islets believed to be rich in oil and mineral deposits. Also laying claim to the Sprtalys in part or as a whole are Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei. ELR, GMA News
-----------------
Well, this serves as a crispy slap on China's face. CPC fools see another eye-opener.
China's "peaceful rise" is flawed logically and doesn't work: I (the Philippines) ram your sh!t out, and see how you can still manage your peaceful crap with you. LOL!
KIMBERLY TAN, GMA News
10/20/2011 | 08:34 PM
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday said there is no need for the Philippine government to issue an apology for the Navy's accidental ramming of a Chinese vessel earlier this week.
No apologies were necessary and none was given," Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in an interview on Thursday.
He issued the statement after the Department of National Defense said that Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexandar Pama immediately ordered the Navy to send an apology to the Chinese Embassy after it accidentally rammed a Chinese vessel which was towing smaller boats off Reed Bank in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) on Tuesday morning.
"I think there was already an apology to the Chinese Embassy here in Manila. It's in the form of incident information to the Chinese Embassy here. At the same time, we are saying that the damage is not intentional. The minor incident was unfortunate, that was a result of unforeseen circumstances," said Defense spokesman Zosimo Paredes.
Secretary del Rosario also said there was no need for the apology because it was the Chinese vessel that veered into Philippine territory.
As I understand it, there was a Chinese fishing vessel towing 35 unmanned dinghies that strayed in our waters," he said.
No casualties
Earlier, Paredes explained the Navy ship BRP Rizal was patrolling Reed Bank when it spotted a Chinese fishing vessel Tuesday morning suspected of poaching.
He said BRP Rizal encountered a problem with its steering mechanism and got entangled with one of the small boats, which then resulted in the accidental ramming.
Paredes said there were no casualties.
The disposition of the small boats left will be in accordance with a legal process," said del Rosario.
The Philippine government has maintained that the Reed Bank is part of the Kalayaan municipality in western Palawan, the territory within the Spratly Islands claimed by the country.
The Reed Bank is about 80 nautical miles west of southwestern Palawan province and is within the country's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, according to the DFA.
Both China and the Philippines are claimants to the disputed Spratlys, a chain of islands and islets believed to be rich in oil and mineral deposits. Also laying claim to the Sprtalys in part or as a whole are Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei. ELR, GMA News
-----------------
Well, this serves as a crispy slap on China's face. CPC fools see another eye-opener.
China's "peaceful rise" is flawed logically and doesn't work: I (the Philippines) ram your sh!t out, and see how you can still manage your peaceful crap with you. LOL!
yep right
