PH Statement at IMO Urges Protection of Life at Sea
Deputy Permanent Representative to the IMO Senen T. Mangalile delivers the Philippine statement on the Philippine vessels that recently sank in the vicinity of Recto Bank in Palawan. (Eric Ricafort photo)
LONDON 18 June 2019 — The Philippines urged all member states of the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to place added importance on the protection of life at sea in cases of maritime distress.
In a statement at the 101st Session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of the IMO on 14 June 2019, Deputy Permanent Representative to the IMO Senen T. Mangalile referred to the Philippine fishing vessel which sank after an incident with a Chinese vessel while anchored at the vicinity of Recto Bank in Palawan.
The Philippine statement drew attention to the fact that the Filipino crew of the fishing vessel “were callously abandoned to the elements on the rough seas and would have perished” were it not for the assistance from the crew of a Vietnamese vessel.
The statement highlighted that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the IMO conventions on Safety of Life at Sea and Maritime Search and Rescue have express provisions on rendering assistance to distressed mariners.
“It is the obligation of every responsible member state of the UN and the IMO to implement these conventions and related codes concerning maritime safety and security, rather than just paying lip service to them,” Mangalile said. “It is also our moral obligation to save a human life whenever and wherever we can do so,” he added.
Deputy Permanent Representative Mangalile also thanked Vietnam for the assistance it provided to the 22 distressed Filipino crew.
The MSC deals with all matters related to maritime safety and security which fall within the mandate of the IMO, covering both passenger ships and all kinds of cargo ships. The MSC likewise deals with updating the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and related codes. END
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