Tolentino wants China to pay for damage to PCG vessels

Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino believes the Philippines should seek compensation from China for damages to two Philippine Coast Guard vessels rammed by Chinese Coast Guard ships near Escoda Shoal.

Tolentino stated that the incident is unacceptable and urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to file a diplomatic protest.

He cited Part 15 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which holds ship owners accountable for such incidents.

The damaged PCG ships, BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engaño, were on a resupply mission to Philippine-occupied features in the West Philippine Sea when the ramming occurred.

Tolentino also proposed the creation of a specialized legal team within the Office of the Solicitor General and the Department of Justice to handle recurring maritime cases.

He emphasized that these cases require expertise in international and maritime law, going beyond the capabilities of regular fiscals.

The senator reiterated his call for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to convene the National Security Council (NSC) to formulate a focused response to the aggravated maritime incident.

Tolentino questioned China's sincerity in the Bilateral Consultative Meeting (BCM) mechanism, given the incident shortly after talks on Ayungin Shoal.

He concluded by stating that China must demonstrate sincerity in negotiations and that the Philippines should pursue legal action instead of just rhetoric.