Philippines 'tracking' vessels near Scarborough Shoal at time Filipino boat rammed

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is tracking all the vessels around the Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal at the time a foreign vessel rammed a Filipino fishing boat and killed three fishermen on board.

According to Speaker Martin Romualdez, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has assured that the PCG has "deployed every resource to uncover the truth."

"They are rigorously backtracking and scrutinizing all vessels that were in the vicinity at the time," Romualdez said.

Romualdez called on government agencies to extend aid to the families of fallen fisherfolk.

“To assist the bereaved families during their time of grief, we advise all government agencies concerned to reach out to them immediately and extend financial support, counseling services, and legal assistance,” Romualdez said.

“In these trying times, it is essential that we come together as a nation to support one another, especially the families affected,” he added.

Romualdez called on all parties to “uphold maritime laws and international principles, and prioritize the safety and welfare of all individuals at sea.”

House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro of ACT Teachers party-list called for more Philippine Coast Guard  (PCG) patrols.

The PCG initially reported that based on the accounts of surviving crew the boat was rammed around 4:30 am on Monday while they were preparing to fish some 85 nautical miles northwest of the shoal.

The mother boat sank, killing three of its crew members including its captain. 

The incident was reported to the PCG at around 10 am on Tuesday, October 3, after the 11 surviving crew members of the Dearyn and their 3 dead finally made their way to Barangay Cato, Infanta, Pangasinan.

The PCG said the foreign commercial vessel was identified as the Pacific Anna, a crude oil tanker registered under the flag of the Marshall Islands. 

“Given that commercial vessels have the right of innocent passage, the incident could have been prevented if there were more PCG patrols in Bajo de Masinloc, aside from preventing such accidents they can also be more effective in protecting our waters and our fisherfolk," Castro said.

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of this act and we also hope that the funds for the PCG would be increased,” she added.

"Besides, [there's also] the harassment of Filipino fisherfolk by China's coast guard and militia have been happening for years and many were documented. Of course, we cannot forget what happened to the Gem Ver 1 fishing vessel as well as the incidents of Chinese coast guard water blasting Filipino fishing boats," Castro said.

Castro was referring to the June 2019 incident wherein Filipino fishing boat Gem Ver 1 was sunk by a Chinese vessel in the Recto Bank which lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in West Philippine Sea. 

The 22 Gem-Ver 1 crew members on board, fortunately, were rescued by Vietnamese fisherfolk who saw the Filipinos around five hours after their boat was rammed by the Chinese.

Senator Francis Tolentino, for his part, said  the government should invest more on the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s Maritime Command (PNP-MC) in light of the tragedy.

“I will propose that we increase the budget of PNP-MC, including the establishment of a base somewhere out there somewhere in Zambales, Palawan,” Tolentino said. —NB, GMA Integrated News