PHL fishermen dismayed by Duterte's remark on Reed Bank collision

The fishermen whose boat was rammed by a Chinese vessel in Reed Bank are dismayed by President Rodrigo Duterte's remark describing the incident as a "little maritime accident," according to Marisol Abdurahman's report on Balitanghali on Tuesday.

Boat captain Jonel Insigne said it seems like Duterte is dismissing the fact that a Chinese boat rammed their vessel, causing it to sink, and left them to fend for themselves at sea.

"Nalulungkot po ako dun sa sinabi ng Pangulo, parang balewala lang yung pagbangga sa amin. Paano po kung namatay kaming lahat? Parang nagtatampo ako, masama ang loob ko," Insigne said.

Another fisherman said, "Medyo masakit katulad niyan mamaya pupunta ulit ako dun sa pinangyarihan... may takot. Malaki ang takot [ko] na baka maulit,"

Breaking his silence on the issue, Duterte on Monday night described the collision in Reed Bank as a "little maritime accident" and ordered the Philippine Navy  to "stay out of trouble."

It was not the statement many were expecting from Duterte who, weeks ago, spoke strongly against Canada over the issue of garbage it illegally shipped to the Philippines years ago.

But despite Duterte's statement, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the administration is not belittling the incident, which has been the subject of a diplomatic protest filed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.

One fisherman said it was easy for Duterte to utter such words as he was not in their shoes, while another one said the President's word really hurt him.

"Masama talaga loob ko kasi sabi niya konting diperensiya lang daw, konting aksidente. Paano niya nasabi iyon na konting aksidente lang eh nandoon kami sa laot," one fisherman said.

The fishermen, who were rescued by a Vietnamese boat after almost three hours at sea, appealed to the government to make sure that the involved Chinese would be held accountable. —KBK, GMA News