2nd HK-registered vessel eyed in Pinoy boat's 'ramming'
Home Updated June 26, 2012 04:56 PM
MANILA, Philippines - The foreign vessel responsible for the sinking of a Philippine fishing boat near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal last week is not the Australian-owned M/V Peach Mountain, a Malacañang official said Tuesday.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing that according to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, the Philippine Navy is still conducting an investigation to identify the responsible vessel.
Lacierda said that based on the initial findings of the Philippine Navy,
it was not M/V Peach Mountain, but "another Hong Kong-registered vessel."
"[The Philippine Navy] will continue its investigation as to what particular vessel hit the fishermen," he said.
He said that the Philippine Navy is plotting the route and speed of the vessels that sailed through the area where the mishap happened to pinpoint the foreign vessel.
Lacierda assured that since the foreign vessel came from the Philippines' port and plied local waters, the government will not have a hard time communicating with its owners.
He, however, said that the Philippines will not make any contacts with the owners of foreign vessels and the country involved pending the Philippine Navy's investigation.
He added that the government is already talking with maritime law experts to determine the liability of the foreign vessel involved. He, however, said that the government has yet to determine whether the ramming incident was accidental or intentional.
The unidentified foreign vessel hit a local fishing boat last week near the waters of Panatag Shoal. One fisherman of the fishermen died and four others were still missing. All fishermen were all from Bolinao, Pangasinan.
Lacierda said that the local government of Bolinao and the Department of Social Welfare and Development were providing assistance to the families of the the fishermen, including the families of the three fishermen who were rescued alive.
National Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Benito Ramos had said that
according to the rescued fishermen, the foreign vessel that hit them was Chinese.
The Chinese embassy in Manila has said that it has not received any report about the incident.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=200&articleid=821221
China will squash Vietnam like a potato
Except for you die-hard Vietnamese nationalists, no one on this forum believes you guys stand a chance against China. I would appreciate it if you would stop making that ridiculous claim.
Chinese PLZ-07 122mm howitzers will shred the Vietnamese army. Vietnam can lose entire divisions in a howitzer bombardment.
If it goes to Vietnam: