Drilon wants an independent body to probe Recto Bank incident

SENATE Minority Leader Franklin Drilon suggested Monday, June 24, the creation of an independent probe body that will deal with the Recto Bank incident, instead of conducting a joint investigation with China.

"Instead of a joint investigation, we should create an independent probe body similar to the time of [former President] Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," said Drilon in an interview Monday, June 24.

"Such body should be created by the President given that the investigative body jurisdictions [duty] to make recommendations and inquire into the Recto Bank incident and submit their report to the Congress or to the president," he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier accepted China's offer to conduct a joint investigation on the sinking of a Filipino fishing boat after it was rammed by a Chinese trawler in the Recto Bank on June 9.

But Drilon said the result of a joint investigation would turn out biased, since the incident happened within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

"Joint probe is not credible. Not only credibility issues but also it will have legal complications and sovereign issues. If Recto Bank is within the country's EEZ, which fact is [already] confirmed by an arbitration ruling, then why should we inquire other nationalities into this. We should do it ourselves," he said.

He said the question of partiality will be resolved by having an independent investigation body.

"The question of partiality will be resolved by the very background of the people that will be appointed," he said.

Drilon also proposed that the independent body should be formed by retired Supreme Court justices since it would deal with a lot of legal matters and credibility, sovereignty of the country, and national pride.

"This body I proposed [are] of men of independence, integrity and retired Supreme Court justices are preferable. This will [maintain] the credibility and at the same time will maintain the sovereignty of the country and our national pride," he said. (Ryniel Berlanga/SunStar Philippines)