Enforcing a tacit ban?

Defense Secretary Lorenzana’s new statement regarding the incident at Recto Bank is not surprising. He is now calling it an accident, as opposed to his earlier much angrier statement that Chinese trawler 42212 rammed F/B Gem-ver while anchored at Recto Bank.

According to Senator Lacson, since President Duterte has already labeled it as “a simple maritime accident” where “nagbanggaan lang iyan”, to come out with an opposing view would be countering the president. He has set the tone for everyone to follow. Even former DFA secretary Yasay is toeing the line. Some members of the Cabinet even belittled the incident by saying Gem-ver 1 was just grazed or nicked by 42212. But if they were simply grazed or nicked, why did Gem-ver 1 sink, losing all their catch and the whole crew left bobbing in the ocean?

Government officials are now pointing out inconsistencies in the fishermen’s statements. Since the cook was the only one awake when it happened, his story is being given more credence. China is even now changing their story, no longer mentioning the seven or eight Filipino boats “besieging” 42212. I believe they should not have made these discrepancies in public as China may use them in defending their stand or even in accusing the Filipinos.

The fishermen are now caught in the middle of a virtual tug-of-war where the government seems to want them to say it was an accident while everyone else wants to label it an intentional ramming. Their collective fist-bump photo-op may be a foregone conclusion with regards to their story. But the act of 42214 which needs absolute condemnation is their abandonment of the Filipinos. That is clearly unacceptable and criminal behavior in the oceans. There is no reason for 42212 to abandon them as they did, unless of course, like many are saying, the ramming was intentional.

According to Dr. Chester Cabalza of the National Defense College of the Philippines, the collision of the Gem-Ver may be a message to Filipino fishermen who frequent the place. Cabalza believes Recto Bank belongs to the so-called triangle of the Paracel Islands, the Spratlys, and Scarborough Shoal.

The Paracel Islands are also being intensely claimed by Vietnam, whereas the Spratlys, where the Recto Bank is located, is claimed by many countries. We know that Panatag Shoal is absolutely ours but China already controls it.

The Chinese maritime militia has occasionally rammed and sunk Vietnamese fishing vessels in the Paracel Islands. I do not know how they address this problem. China may now be observing the same tack at Recto Bank. China has many militias operating in the region.

These are non-fishing ships that intimidate or follow Beijing’s orders at a moment’s notice. They are there to “sort of enforce” their territorial claims by not using their white coast guard ships or their naval vessels. The captain of the Gem-ver said he will return to Recto Bank. Good for him. Recto Bank is within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the country so Filipinos have every right to fish there. There is no restriction for them to do that unless China is now enforcing a tacit ban.