Citing 'Humanitarian Purposes,' Robin Pushes Early Compensation for Victims in WPS Collision

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZhTLibpzSU

Citing "humanitarian purposes," Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla pushed Thursday for early compensation for victims of the collision between a commercial vessel and a fishing boat in the West Philippine Sea.

At the Senate hearing that tackled the collision, Padilla stressed the government must speed up the process of giving compensation to the victims as they and their families are very poor.

"Ang akin lang gustong imungkahi sa ating taga-gobyerno at siyempre dito sa ating mga bisita, for humanitarian purposes ika nga, if we could consider because these are very poor fishermen ... I hope we could consider giving them compensation right away (I want to suggest to the government and to our visitors that for humanitarian purposes, we could consider giving them early compensation because these are very poor fishermen. I hope we could consider giving them compensation right away)," he said.

He noted that the fishermen are poor and dahil sa kahirapan, hindi naiintindihan ng mga biktima ang mga usaping legal tulad ng United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Also, he said the victims could not afford to wait until the investigation and court processes are completed, as this could take years.

"Masyado kayong legalistic. Hindi naman nila maintindihan yan ang UNCLOS natin, kung ulit ulitin natin yan, ang UNCLOS. Mismo ang kababayan natin gulong gulo na diyan eh. Di natin maipaliwanag kung ano ang sovereignty, ano ang sovereign rights (We are too legalistic. They may not understand what UNCLOS is, or sovereignty or sovereign rights)," he said.

"To tell you the truth we are not, the fishermen are not technologically advanced, they don't even have radio, they don't even have radar... If we will wait for the court to decide this will take years. The collision is about a big ship and a very obsolete fishing vessel (The fishermen are not technologically advanced, they don't have radio or radar. If we will wait for the court to decide, this will take years. The collision is about a big ship and a very obsolete fishing vessel)," he added.

Meanwhile, Padilla stressed the importance of establishing archipelagic sea lanes in the Philippines as protection for our fishermen.

"Ito pong pagtatalaga ng sea lanes ay napakahalaga katulad ng nangyari ngayon na pinaguusapan natin, proteksyon ito sa ating mangingisda sapagka't dumadaan ang malaking barko sa ating exclusive economic zone at alam nating pag malaking barko ay high-rise yan, ilang floors yan, di mo na halos makita kung ano ang nandoon nasa baba. Kaya napakahalagang may dadaanan lang po sila di katulad kanina yung sinabi ninyo e labo-labo na kung saan-saan dumadaan di na natin alam saan ang ruta kaya napakahalaga nito (Establishing sea lanes will protect our fishermen as this will prevent collisions between vessels by designating routes)," he said.

Para sa 'Humanitarian Purposes,' Robin Nanawagan ng Agarang Kabayaran sa Biktima ng Banggaan sa WPS

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZhTLibpzSU

Para sa "humanitarian purposes," nanawagan si Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla nitong Huwebes ng agarang kabayaran para sa mga biktima at kamaganak ng mga namatay sa banggaan ng isang commercial vessel at fishing boat sa West Philippine Sea.

Sa pagdinig ng Senado tungkol sa banggaan, iginiit ni Padilla na dapat agahan ng pamahalaan ang pagbigay ng tulong sa mga pamilya ng mga biktima ng banggaan dahil mahihirap ang mga ito.

"Ang akin lang gustong imungkahi sa ating taga-gobyerno at siyempre dito sa ating mga bisita, for humanitarian purposes ika nga, if we could consider because these are very poor fishermen ... I hope we could consider giving them compensation right away," aniya.

Ipinunto ni Padilla na dahil sa kahirapan, hindi naiintindihan ng mga biktima ang mga usaping legal tulad ng United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Dagdag niya, hindi na makakahintay ang mga biktima at kanilang pamilya kung aabutin ng taon ang imbestigasyon at proseso sa korte.

"Masyado kayong legalistic. Hindi naman nila maintindihan yan ang UNCLOS natin, kung ulit ulitin natin yan, ang UNCLOS. Mismo ang kababayan natin gulong gulo na diyan eh. Di natin maipaliwanag kung ano ang sovereignty, ano ang sovereign rights" aniya.

"To tell you the truth we are not, the fishermen are not technologically advanced, they don't even have radio, they don't even have radar... If we will wait for the court to decide this will take years. The collision is about a big ship and a very obsolete fishing vessel," dagdag niya.

Samantala, iginiit din ni Padilla ang kahalagahan ng pagkakaroon ng Pilipinas ng archipelagic sea lanes para maiwasan ang banggaan.

"Ito pong pagtatalaga ng sea lanes ay napakahalaga katulad ng nangyari ngayon na pinaguusapan natin, proteksyon ito sa ating mangingisda sapagka't dumadaan ang malaking barko sa ating exclusive economic zone at alam nating pag malaking barko ay high-rise yan, ilang floors yan, di mo na halos makita kung ano ang nandoon nasa baba. Kaya napakahalagang may dadaanan lang po sila di katulad kanina yung sinabi ninyo e labo-labo na kung saan-saan dumadaan di na natin alam saan ang ruta kaya napakahalaga nito," aniya.