China denies hit and run as pressure builds on Duterte to speak up

By Martin Petty
MANILA, June 15 (Reuters) - China has rejected Philippine
allegations that a Chinese fishing vessel abandoned 22 Filipinos
after it sank their boat in the South China Sea, as pressure
builds on President Rodrigo Duterte to take a tougher line.
China's embassy in Manila said the crew had sought to rescue
the Filipino fishermen but fled after being "suddenly besieged
by seven or eight Filipino fishing boats".
"There was no such thing as (a) 'hit-and-run'," it said in a
statement late on Friday, adding it would handle the issue in a
"serious and responsible manner".
The sinking took place on Sunday near the Reed Bank, the
site of untapped gas deposits that an international arbitration
court in 2016 ruled the Philippines had sovereign rights to
exploit. Beijing disputes that. The issue could complicate what are determined efforts by
Duterte to build a strong relationship with China, despite deep
mistrust among his U.S.-allied defence apparatus, which remains
wary about China's maritime militarisation and what it sees as
bullying and denial of Manila's access to its own offshore oil
and gas reserves.
Duterte has made no mention of Sunday's incident during any
of the lengthy and unscripted speeches he has since given. His
defence minister, navy chief and spokesman have publicly
denounced the Chinese crew and his foreign minister said he had
lodged a protest with Beijing.
Presidential spokesman, Salvador Panelo, did not respond to
a request for comment on China's version of events.
Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros on Saturday called for
bilateral ties to be downgraded and said China's denial was
"preposterous" and the story made no sense.
She said Duterte had plenty to say about mundane issues, but
should speak up when it came to sovereignty.
"Nothing is more reassuring to the public than to see and
hear their own president, the supposed architect of the
country's foreign policy, telling them that he is on top of the
situation," Hontiveros said.
Sunday's incident is the latest confrontation involving
China's vast fishing fleet, which experts say has been co-opted
to serve as Beijing's militia and augment its constant
coastguard presence in waters also claimed by Malaysia, Taiwan,
Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei.
Philippines Supreme Court judge Antonio Carpio, a staunch
critic of China's maritime claims and conduct, said that among
its massive fishing contingent were boats with reinforced steel
hulls "purposely for ramming fishing vessels of other coastal
states."
"The Filipino people must send a strong signal to China that
any new 'grey zone' offensive of ramming Filipino fishing
vessels ...will mean a break of diplomatic ties," Carpio said in
a statement late Friday.