Ramming of PHL boat in Recto Bank unintentional —DOE's Cusi

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who also chairs Mimaropa’s Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS), said Sunday that the ramming by a Chinese vessel of a Pinoy fishing boat last June 9 was unintentional.

After inspecting the wreckage of the fishing boat that was beached in Occidental Mindoro, Cusi was quoted on Balitanghali as saying that the damage from the collision’s impact was at the side of the stern.

Cusi added that if the collision was intentional, the damage could have been more severe.

^{F/B Gemvir}

"Kasi sasabihin natin, kung talagang babanggain eh bakit yung... Kung sa kwan ba, pwede namang, sasabihin nating 'Napakabulok naman 'yung babangga, daplis lang'," he said in a report on GMA's 24 Oras Weekend on Sunday.

"I mean, kung meant to kill and meant to... Siyempre, ididiretso mo na," he added.

On Sunday morning, the Cabinet official came to check on the boat in Mindoro Occidental in Mimaropa region (consist of Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental; Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan).

According to him, he also came to see the situation of fishermen that figured in the incident and to ask them what really happened.

Asked why the Chinese crew left the scene of the incident without helping the fishermen, he said he would leave the matter to the police and to authorities investigating the incident.

Likewise, he said he came over to Mindoro to asked the victims what more the government can do for them.

F/B Gemvir, the Philippine fishing vessel that figured in the ramming incident in Recto Bank near Palawan, was beached and berthed in Barangay San Roque, Occidental Mindoro.

Damage to the Gemvir's stern was visible as the vessel was brought ashore on June 15.

On the evening of June 9, the Chinese vessel Yuemaobinyu 42212 rammed the Gemvir, which then took on water and foundered.

Yuemaobinyu then left the scene, leaving the 22 distressed Filipino fishermen to fend for themselves in the open sea.

A passing Vietnamese vessel eventually rescued them. —LBG, GMA News