Press Release - Tolentino: PH should convene NSC, demand compensation for damaged PCG ships

Next steps for PH after the Escoda Shoal ramming incident

Senate Majority Leader Francis 'Tol' Tolentino reiterated his call for the Philippine government to convene the National Security Council (NSC), and to demand compensation from the People's Republic of China for the damages sustained by two Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessels after being rammed by Chinese Coast Guard ships in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal on Monday.

"What happened in Escoda Shoal is unacceptable. The next step is for the DFA to lodge a diplomatic protest, I hope that has been filed already," said Tolentino in an interview with Teleradyo on Tuesday.

"The Philippines should also file a claim for damages. Under Part 15 of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), the owner of the ship, whether state-owned or private, can be held accountable for what happened," added the chair of the Senate Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones.

Tolentino said he intends to bring up during the budget hearing of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) his proposal for the creation of a specialized team of lawyers that will handle maritime cases, which he foresees will recur in the coming years.

"The OSG and DOJ should create a specialized team of maritime lawyers to handle these cases. The ramming incident in Escoda won't be the last. We cannot assign this task to fiscals, because these cases involve specialized aspects of international law and maritime law," he explained.

Finally, the senator reiterated his position that it is high time for the President to convene the National Security Council (NSC).

"I reiterate my plea to the President to convene the NSC, because what happened was an aggravated action. The convening of the NSC will allow the country to formulate a more focused response. We can get the opinion of the Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, and DFA. This [incident involves] one of the highest forms of aggravated maritime intentional allision and collision," the senator stressed.

He further noted that the incident puts into question the sincerity and seriousness of China in the Bilateral Consultative Meeting (BCM) mechanism with the