The first offense happened on June 9, 2019 when an unnamed Chinese vessel rammed Gem-Vir I, a Philippine fishing boat anchored on Recto Bank, West Philippine Sea, and fled inside China, leaving the 22 fishermen on board fighting for their lives until a Vietnamese rescue vessel appeared.
President Duterte’s allies are completely heart-broken that he has been unable to tell China to assume full responsibility for the June 9 ramming and destruction of Philippine fishing boat Gem-Vir 1 by a Chinese vessel on Recto Bank within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone.
The May 2019 midterm elections came and went without anyone making a big to-do about them.