MANILA, Philippines – The sinking of a Philippine fishing boat by a Chinese ship in the West Philippine

Sea should serve as a "wake-up call" to complete the crafting of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South
China Sea, according to analysts.

In a roundtable forum in Quezon City on Wednesday, June 18, Chinese studies experts Lucio Pitlo and
Aaron Jed Rabena said the sinking highlighted the need to complete the document envisioned to provide
stability in the region.

"This incident is a wake-up call. It should compel countries to fast-track and achieve an early conclusion
to the COC because it would be a concrete and strong mechanism to try to address this kind of dispute,"
Pitlo said.

The COC is a document to ensure peace and stability in the South China Sea and defines how ships and
planes can pass through disputed seas without provoking protests.

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are holding a summit this weekend in
Bangkok, where they will again try to finalize the code.

Other Stories

WATCH: Boat sinking at Recto Bank – from indignation to dismissal

The Philippine government's messaging on the ramming of a Filipino boat by a Chinese vessel, evolves
from confused to echoing China's line

TIMELINE: Sinking of Filipino boat in West PH Sea by Chinese ship

The sinking of a Filipino fishing boat by a Chinese ship is 'a quantum escalation of China's aggressive acts
against the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea'

Lorenzana: 'BFAR is correct agency to protect our fisheries'

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, however, is not responsible for securing the country's
domain, but the Armed Forces of the Philippines

ASEAN leaders and China agreed to start talks on the COC in November 2017. Delays, however, have
hampered the completion of the code nearly two decades since they agreed to set it up in 2002.

One issue with the COC is whether or not the document will be legally binding. Experts have emphasized
that the COC should be legally binding for it to hold value.

Public pressure

Agreeing with Pitlo, Rabena said public outcry over the incident "really warrants us to have an
agreement with China [and] fast-track the COC."

"[Kailangan] para maiwasan yung mga political escalations and mga untoward incidents that can lead to
something else (It's needed to avoid political escalations and untoward incidents that can lead to
something else)," Rabena said.

On June 9, Fishing Boat Gem-Ver was rammed then abandoned by a Chinese ship near Recto Bank (Reed
Bank) in the West Philippine Sea. Recto Bank – an oil-rich underwater reef formation – belongs to the
Philippine and is coveted by China.

The 22 Filipino fishermen who were aboard the vessel were abandoned and left to float at sea for hours
until a Vietnamese fishing boat saved them.

The fishermen's near-death ordeal has been downplayed by the government and President Rodrigo
Duterte himself who dismissed the incident as a "maritime incident." The President's statement echoed
China's view that it was an "ordinary maritime accident."
Advertisement

Other government officials likewise described it as an "accident," with some casting doubt on
fishermen's own accounts of what happened. – Rappler.com

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VIDEOS & PODCASTS

PODCAST: Impunity in the West Philippine Sea

Pakinggan ang usapan nina defense reporter Rambo Talabong, foreign affairs reporter Paterno Esmaquel,
at researcher-writer Jodesz Gavilan ukol sa nangyaring banggaan at tugon ng administrasyong Duterte
rito

Rappler.com

Published 9:20 PM, June 19, 2019

Updated 9:20 PM, June 19, 2019

MANILA, Philippines – Nabulabog ang Pilipinas nang pumutok ang balitang lumubog ang isang bangkang
pangingisda ng mga Pilipino pagkatapos itong mabangga ng isang Chinese vessel sa Recto Bank (Reed
Bank) sa West Philippine Sea noong June 9.

Ang banggaan ay nag-iwan ng malaking sira sa likod ng FB Gem-Ver. Ngunit imbes na tulungan, agad
diumanong tumakas ang Chinese vessel at iniwan ang 22 na mangingisda. Sila ay naisalba ng isang
Vietnamese fishing vessel. (WATCH: How Chinese ship sank Filipino fishing vessel in West PH Sea)

Ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas ay naging malamya sa kanilang pagtrato sa kontrobersiya – isang malaking
kaibahan mula sa pagtrato nito sa ibang isyung kinasangkutan ng ibang bansa. Tinawag naman ni
Presidente Rodrigo Duterte na isang "maritime incident" lamang ang nangyaring banggaan at pag-iwan
sa mga mangingisda.

Sa podcast na ito, pag-uusapan ng defense reporter na si Rambo Talabong, foreign affairs reporter
Paterno Esmaquel, at researcher-writer Jodesz Gavilan ang iba't-ibang anggulo ng insidenteng dagdag sa
mahabang listahan ng harassment sa West Philippine Sea, kasama na rito ang paraan para makamit ang
"accountability" na ninanais ng mga mangingisda.

Paano nga ba dapat umaksyon ang administrasyon ni Duterte laban sa China? Ano ang ipinahihiwatig ng
mga galaw ng Presidente? Pakinggan ang podcast na ito. – Rappler.com

PAKINGGAN ANG IBA PANG NEWSBREAK PODCASTS:

PODCAST: Duterte's diagrams and his war vs critical media

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#PHVote: Ano-ano ang paraan ng vote-buying?

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Bakit mahalagang mailabas ang tokhang documents?

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Bakit kailangang labanan ang Duterte coverage ban sa Rappler?

Apay nga kasapulan nga agpetisyon iti Rappler diyay Supreme Court?

Nganong kinahanglan nga di dapigan ang Duterte coverage ban sa Rappler?

Ang doble-plaka law bilang panakip-butas sa mga patayan

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Ano ang dapat mong malaman tungkol sa Metro Manila water crisis?

Ang alas ni Eduardo Acierto laban kay Michael Yang

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PHILIPPINES

WATCH: Boat sinking at Recto Bank – from indignation to dismissal

The Philippine government's messaging on the ramming of a Filipino boat by a Chinese vessel, evolves
from confused to echoing China's line

Rappler.com

Published 2:50 PM, June 19, 2019

Updated 4:15 PM, June 19, 2019

SUNKEN. Fishing Boat Gem-Vir in the West Philippine Sea after it was attacked by a Chinese fishing
vessel. Sourced photo

SUNKEN. Fishing Boat Gem-Vir in the West Philippine Sea after it was attacked by a Chinese fishing
vessel. Sourced photo

In what is considered the most heated incident in the West Philippine Sea since the Panatag Shoal stand-
off in 2012, a Chinese vessel sank a Philippine vessel in a collision in the West Philippine Sea (South China
Sea) and left the 22 Filipino fishermen on that boat "to the mercy of the elements" on Sunday, June 9.

Experts call this incident a first in the dispute between the Philippines and China, but the initial
indignation of Philippine authorities later turned lukewarm – from contradictory statements from key
Cabinet officials to President Rodrigo Duterte himself downplaying the incident.

Was it really just an "ordinary maritime incident?" – Rappler.com

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