(Eagle News)–President Rodrigo Duterte called for a special Cabinet meeting on Monday, June 17, to discuss the Recto Bank incident but later canceled it, the Palace said.
The meeting would have taken place days after the June 9 incident was announced by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
The Palace has condemned the incident, which saw a Chinese vessel hitting a Filipino fishing boat that ended up sinking.
Lorenzana said the Chinese vessel left the 22 Filipino fishermen “at the mercy of the elements.”
While the Chinese embassy admitted a Chinese vessel had hit the Filipino fishing boat, it said it had been “besieged” by seven or eight Filipino boats while “at berth” in the area.
The embassy added a hit-and-run did not take place since the Chinese vessel confirmed the Filipinos were being rescued by other Filipino boats before leaving the area.
