The Philippines would not hesitate to sever diplomatic ties with China if the sinking of a Filipino fishing boat in disputed waters earlier this week turned out to be intentional, Malacañang said on Thursday. “We would cut off diplomatic relations, iyan ang mga unang ginagawa kapag merong mga aggressive acts (that’s the first thing to do where there are aggressive acts),” Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters. Twenty-two Filipino fishers were rescued by a Vietnamese boat after the F/B Gimver 1 collided on Sunday with an unidentified Chinese vessel, which reportedly left the scene without providing any assistance. The incident, which occurred off Recto Bank in the West Philippine (South China) Sea, has been branded as part of the continued harassment by China, which claims most of the disputed waters.

Valente, C. S., Tamayo, B. E., & Reyes, D. (2019, June 14). PH could cut ties with China – Palace. The Manila Times, pp. A1, A2.