Pinoys want retribution for fishermen in Recto Bank incident: Pulse Asia president

MANILA - Filipinos expect Beijing to pay the 22 fishermen who were left at sea after a Chinese vessel sank their boat off the coast of Recto (Reed) Bank, Pulse Asia president Ronnie Holmes said Friday.

A recent Pulse Asia survey showed nearly 4 in 10 Filipinos want Manila to pursue sanctions against the crew of a Chinese vessel that sunk a Philippine boat in waters where Manila has exclusive rights over resources.

Filipinos want China to shoulder the cost of the rammed boat, Holmes told ANC's Rundown.

"There is this perspective on the part of Filipinos that there should be immediate payment or retribution due to the victimized fishermen," he said.

"It's not also surprising that some Filipinos favored the payment of retribution specifically because these are our compatriots who have been victimized by aggression on the part of the Chinese vessel," he said.

The "sympathetic" sentiment among survey respondents, could push "government to do more in order to protect our interest beyond filing a protest," he said.

• 4 in 10 Pinoys want sanctions vs Chinese crew in sea allision: Pulse Asia