Maritime expert better off in classroom — Panelo

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo on Monday lambasted Maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal on his recent statements against the Palace official following the latest incident near the Scarborough shoal involving a Chinese “naval warship” harassing an all-Filipino crew of a foreign-flagged, foreign-owned oil tanker.

In a statement, Panelo said that the problem with the remarks of Batongbacal is his amusing habit of ignoring the dynamics of the issues on the ground, in an attempt to be relevant in expressing his square theories he learned from his books.

“Mr. Batongbacal will be better off if he sticks his perorations in his classroom,” said Panelo.

The Palace official added that as Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. correctly pointed out, the vessel involved in the incident is of Greek ownership carrying a Liberian flag of convenience. The tanker just happened to have as its Captain, one having a Philippine nationality.

“If we are to invoke our sovereignty to protest this incident, which did not result in any of our citizens being physically harmed, we will be putting at risk the employment of more than 400,000 deployed Filipino seafarers and mariners, by sending a message to shipping companies of our country’s inclination to meddle with or interfere into their own maritime affairs for the sole reason that a Filipino is under their employ,” said Panelo.

We cannot deprive the country being represented by the oil tanker of its right and duty to protect its own ship because to do otherwise, it will be effectively divesting such country of its right and competence to take the cudgels for its ship,” he added.

Panelo stressed that such a demeanor will be a disrespect and even insulting to the capability of that country to assert its right.

“Each country has the right to be protective and be concerned of the welfare of its citizens. In this case, however, there was no threat to the lives of our countrymen despite the ship Captain’s engaging in retorts about an issue sensitive to our foreign relations concerning our seas. In this particular instance, invoking our state’s dominion is unnecessary,” said Panelo.

He added that the actions of the Philippines cannot — and should not — be motivated by the play of politics aggravated by some media outfits’ penchant to churn out interesting articles for their readers.

“Falling into such lure will only result in unproductive and disruptive knee jerk reactions, if we are to react to every incident perceived to be an affront, no matter how disconnected the same is to the issue of sovereignty,” said Panelo.

“Philippine sovereignty has nothing to do with the employment contract between the captain or the crew and the owner of the tanker, notwithstanding the former being Filipinos,” he added.

The Palace spokesman also stressed that there is a process in invoking our sovereign rights over our exclusive economic zones and the government is currently in that process and it is moving forward and well.

“We will not be distracted by incidents such as this, hyped by personalities who detest the independent foreign policy of the President, and who want to change our course and resort to erroneous measures, to the detriment of the Filipino people,” said Panelo.