US elated for safe return of all 22 Filipino fishermen, cites Vietnamese crew for the rescue 0 SHARES Share it! Share TweetBy Roy MabasaThe United States on Friday said it is thankful that none of the 22 Filipino fishermen whose fishing boat sunk in a collision incident with a Chinese fishing vessel off the Reed Bank or Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea on June 9 was hurt. “We saw news reports of the collision at sea. We are thankful none of the Filipino fishermen lost their lives and glad that Vietnamese fishermen rescued them from the open sea,” the U.S. Embassy said in an emailed response to a Manila Bulletin query. At the same time, the United States reiterated its position supporting the “lawful uses of the sea, respect for international law, unimpeded lawful commerce, and peace and stability.”It also urged all parties to “refrain from using coercion and intimidation to assert their territorial and maritime claims.”

Source: Manila Bulletin June 14, 2019 16:07 UTC