President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday expressed his regrets on the death of two Vienamese fishermen who were killed in an anti-poaching operation by the Philippine Navy in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) two months ago.
Duterte, during his interview with the media in Pulchra Resort, Da Nang, Viet Nam, that the Philippines and Vietnam are already at the process of dealing the problem with compensation.
“Yes, I expressed my regrets and assured him that the machinery of justice is working,” Duterte said.
“Alam mo kasi, it is very important that they see the courts moving to render justice. And I said, we are at that point already. And we will talk about maybe the compensation later,” he added.
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“But I have ordered the other companions of that group which intruded into our economic zone, that they should — I told Aguirre to just dismiss the case and deport them. May namatayan na nga eh,” Duterte stated.
“Alam mo, there’s one point that I’d like to point out. Were it not for the fact that this has to be proven in the investigation, that our ships, the Coast Guard were being rammed, binubunggo talaga, then placing the… you know, the personnel there, the Coast Guard people in danger,” Duterte said as he pointed out this possibility as part of the process of investigation.
The president, however, still made it clear on how to deal with poachers under the Philippine law.
“I repeat, this is for everybody’s guidance. You have to capture. If you cannot capture the poachers, you may pursue them but you have the limit of the international waters, then the boundaries would come into effect,” he explained.
Duterte also clarified that according to the laws of the Philippines, you cannot kill a person because of stealing but if the act of robbery puts the life of the victim in danger, then that will be the time that you can use force.
“But if the thief would run away and you have his back is turned against you, we do not have any right at all to kill a human being because according to our courts, Supreme Court said that human life is more valuable than the thing that’s being carried away,” he explained.
“Therefore, it is not allowed. ‘Yan ang gusto kong… But then, there is this attack by the vessel itself running against the other Coast Guard ship,” he said. “But, that has to be — It’s part of the investigation. But the process is being started already.” | (Tretch Melarpes – PTV)
