Philippine government will conduct reassessment on its relations to China following the alleged ramming of Chinese vessel to the fishing boat of Filipinos anchored in Recto Bank.
“I think so, yes, there will be reassessment. Of the policy vis-Ã -vis our relationship with the Chinese government,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said when asked on possible assessment to Philippines-China relations.
Panelo said that the effect of the incident to ther bilateral relations of two countries would depend on President Duterte’s reaction as he is our foreign policy chief architect.
The Palace official also insisted that the Philippines “is not politicizing the incident and the issue is on the act of abandoning; not the collision itself, because collisions happen in the high seas. But the act of abandoning is in violation of the UNCLOS – the United Nations Convention Law on the Seas.”
Panelo added that there is no need of international law provision on that because tt’s a human act of lending hand to somebody in distress.
“That’s precisely why we gave a diplomatic protest to them and we are waiting for a response. And I’m glad that Ambassador Zhao made a responsible response to that. He said they will thoroughly and seriously investigate the incident,” Panelo added.
