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Penalizing failure to render assistance at sea: Sen. Francis “Tol” N. Tolentino, during Monday’s hearing of the Committee on Foreign Relations, April 29, 2024, stresses the need to come out with a law mandating to render assistance to vessels and persons in distress at sea and the duties of the masters of the ship. Tolentino recalled the recent accident off the coast between Zambales and Pangasinan where a big vessel from South Korea hit a small fishing vessel that resulted in the death of four Filipino fishermen from Subic, Zambales. The senator filed Senate Bill No. 1388 or the Good Samaritan at Sea Law, providing for rules on the duty to render assistance at sea in accordance with relevant international conventions to which the Philippines is a state party. “This would entail the mandatory rendering of assistance to vessels in distress and providing penalties for the failure or inability to render assistance. These are all in compliance with existing international law,” Tolentino said. “There is really a need to provide penalties for those who fail to render assistance,” he added. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)