MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is calling for a formal investigation into a collision between a Chinese fishing vessel and a Filipino fishing boat after the Chinese boat fled the scene and left the Filipinos "to the mercy of the elements." The Filipino boat was anchored when the two vessels collided, he said. He said the crew of the GIMVER 1 was rescued by a Vietnamese fishing vessel that was nearby. "We thank the captain and crew of the Vietnamese vessel for saving the lives of the 22 Filipino crew. However, we condemn in the strongest terms the cowardly action of the suspected Chinese fishing vessel and its crew for abandoning the Filipino crew," he also said.

Source: Philippine Star June 12, 2019 10:52 UTC