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Repaired GemVer 1 sails back to the Recto Bank
SAN JOSE, Mindoro - "Alis kayo diyan sa baba! Itutumba namin ito!"
The man shouting atop the pilothouse of the F/B Pengyou with sun-bleached hair and leathery skin was supervising the last of the cannibalization work on the vessel, which had been donated by the Chinese owners of the vessel that rammed the GemVer 1 in the now infamous Recto Bank incident.
Locals said that the Pengyou, which means "friend" in Mandarin, was in poor condition even before a storm broke it in half.
So they took the donated vessel apart, using the salvaged parts from the Pengyou to repair the GemVer 1 — the ship it was supposed to have replaced.
It was another strange twist in the story of the fishermen from the fishing town of San Jose, Mindoro.
In a few hours, the crew of the GemVer 1 would be sailing to Recto Bank. The crew included most of the fishermen who survived Recto Bank ramming.
"Hindi pa rin maalis ang takot, andoon pa rin yung parang kinakabahan pa rin po, eh," Justin Pacaul, one of the youngest among the GemVer crewmen, admitted.
Others felt that it was their right to fish in the area, more so given the rumors that there were now even more Chinese ships at the Recto Bank.
"Hindi kami natatakot. Wala naman po kami kasing kasalanan," said Ronnie Roldan, an older and more experienced fisherman.
The crew of the GemVer salvage wood from the Chinese-donated fishing boat that broke into two a few day after it was given as a gift to the fishermen. pic.twitter.com/yyNwrWex3k
— Chino Gaston (@chinogaston) November 23, 2019
Falling out
However, the GemVer 1 would be sailing without its original captain — Junel Insigne.
As preparations were made on the GemVer 1, Insigne was painting the hull of a huge orange boat that had been dry-docked for repairs.
He was no longer captain of any ship following the events at the Recto Bank, which saw him first criticizing President Rodrigo Duterte and the government's China policy, to apologizing and claiming there had been some form of miscommunication surrounding his statements.
For now, Insigne takes on any work offered.
"Hindi na po ako pinaakyat ng may-ari. Hindi ko po alam bakit. Pero babalik talaga ako dun sa Recto Bank," he said, gesturing out to sea with orange paint on his fingers.
One of the mementos he keeps from the ramming was the small fiberglass hulled banca given to him by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
The boat was too small, though, and could only be sailed close to shore.
"Sana may kumuha ulit sa akin na kapitan," Insigne said dejectedly.
Strangely, the falling out between the GemVer 1's owners and Insigne was also a mystery to Maria Fe Dela Torre, one of the owners of the GemVer fishing fleet.
"After na dry dock ang barko, hindi na siya nag communicate sa amin," said Dela Torre.
With a retrofit and equipment upgrade costing close to P2 million, the GemVer 1 was as seaworthy as any vessel in her type and class.
She sits low and wide in the water, her outriggers half-submerged. The ship was packed to overflowing with fresh water, ice, and provisions for a 20-day fishing expedition.
"The Chinese community in the Philippines donated around P1.2 million. But we still had to spend more because it wasn't only the rear section that got damaged [during the ramming], but the reinforcing wooden internal framework as well."
Dela Torre showed the huge pile of dismantled hardwood parts taken from the GemVer 1.
No journalists allowed
Three media outfits, two from TV and one from a major broadsheet were supposed to board the GemVer 1 and document her return to the Recto Bank.
Two hours before her scheduled departure, the Philippine Coast Guard command in San Jose received a call from their superiors — journalists were prohibited from boarding the GemVer 1.
In a text message, PCG Commandant Vice Admiral Joel Garcia explained that the fishing boat would be violating several laws because it was not authorized to carry passengers outside its stated crew members.
According to Jay Batongbacal, Director of the University of the Philippines-Diliman Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, the prohibition appeared "to be an undue and prior restraint on press freedom, on a matter of public interest."
Vessels authorized to ferry passengers should have a Certificate of Public Convenience or CPC.
Fishing boat and other seacraft operators faced heavy fines from both the PCG and the Maritime Industry Authority should they be prosecuted.
Journalists have also been barred from sailing to Pag-asa Island despite multiple attempts to seek permission from the Department of Defense and the Philippine Armed Forces.
UP Professor and Maritime Law expert Prof Jay Batongbacal on journalists not being allowed to document GemVer Uno voyage:
— Chino Gaston (@chinogaston) November 23, 2019
"That appears to be an undue and prior restraint on press freedom, on a matter of public interest." pic.twitter.com/q6SbmBIXXq
With the sun setting on the Mindoro Strait, the GemVer 1 set sail, turning slowly and displaying the small bancas sitting atop the four massive outriggers on each side.
On this expedition, the GemVer 1 would be accompanied by her sister ship the Gem-Vir 2.
The crew waved at the journalists on the beach, who trained their cameras on the fast disappearing ships. — KG, GMA News
