NGANGA pa rin umano ang 22 Filipino na sakay ng bangka na binangga ng barko ng China noong nakaraang taon.
Ayon kay House Deputy Minority leader at Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate tila ibinaon na sa limot ang ginawa sa mga mangingisdang Filipino na matapos banggain ay iniwan sa lumulubog nilang bangka.
“The fishermen up till now have yet to receive compensation. Even if Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. admitted he would “bring it up again” with the Chinese government. It has been more than a year since the incident yet our victmized fisherfolks are yet to get the just and rightful compensation they deserved because the Duterte administration and the Chinese government sit on,” ani Zarate.
Sinabi ni Zarate na lumalabas sa imbestigasyon na intensyonal ang pagbangga sa Gem Ver I at hindi umano katanggap-tanggap na iwanan ang mga Pilipinong mangingisda sa luulubog nilang bangka.
“This along with the proliferation of POGOs in the country, onerous deals like the Chico dam and Kaliwa dam deals, the proliferation of illegal Chinese medical facilities as well as the non-assertion of the victory of the Philippines on the West Philippine Sea case on the Hague Arbitral Tribunal, among others, show that this China appeasement policy is contrary to the best interest of our country as it is made at the expense of our fisherfolk, our health, our territory and even of our sovereignty,” dagdag pa ng solon.
Hindi rin umano ang may-ari ng nakabangga na Chinese ship ang humingi ng paumanhin sa mga Filipino kundi ang insurance association lamang nito.
“We should have demanded that the Chinese government itself publicly declare that Chinese ships ramming fishing boats of other countries will be punished. The ramming was intentional and no amount of apology that does not admit this is acceptable.”