PHL boat captain denies Chinese vessel was 'besieged'

The captain of the Philippine boat that was rammed by a Chinese vessel in Recto Bank has denied that the foreign boat was besieged by Filipino fishermen as claimed by the Chinese embassy.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV on Tuesday, Jonel Insigne said they were the only Filipino fishermen in the area when the incident happened late night on June 9.

"Hindi po totoo yun gawa nang wala kaming kasama. Malalayo po yung kasama namin kaya di totoo yung kuwento nila na kinuyog sila," he said.

In a statement last week, the Chinese embassy said the Chinese crew members of fishing boat Yuemaobinyu 42212 had to leave the area after the collision because their captain "was afraid of being besieged by other Filipino fishing boats."

The Chinese embassy there was no "hit-and-run" incident after the collision, which damaged the Philippine boat, GEM-VIR 1, causing it to sink.

Insigne said they were in the water for almost three hours before they were rescued by a Vietnamese fishing boat.

"Paglubog po namin yung iba nagtakbuhan, yung iba nalaglag sa tubig, yung iba nakakapit sa bangka. Yung Vietnam ang tumulong sa amin," he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte has described the collision as a "little maritime accident" — a remark Insigne said was "saddening."

"Nalulungkot po ako sa sinabi ni mahal na presidente dahil po parang balewala po yung pagbangga sa amin, dahil maliit lang na ano yun, na walang namatay sa amin," Insigne said in the same radio interview.

Despite Duterte's statement, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the administration is not belittling the incident, which has been the subject of a diplomatic protest filed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. —KBK, GMA News