3 Filipinos die after ‘accidental collision’ with suspected foreign vessel
THREE FILIPINOS died after a foreign oil tanker is suspected to have rammed into their fishing boat near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea at dawn on Oct. 1, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).The Philippine fishing boat Dearyn sank after it was involved in an “accidental collision” with the bigger vessel registered under the flag of the Marshall Islands while it was moored to a raft 85 nautical miles (157.4 kilometers) from the shoal, which Filipinos call Bajo de Masinloc, the coast guard said in a report.
Eleven crew members survived the accident, which happened past 4 a.m. on Monday.
“After cross-referencing the fishermen’s account, the date and the time, we conducted a thorough check on marine traffic,” PCG said. “It turns out that Pacific Anna, a crude oil tanker vessel, registered under the flag of Marshall Islands, aligns with the details provided by the fishermen.”
The coast guard would reach out to Marshall Islands and the next port to be visited by the vessel, it added.
Lawmakers sought an investigation of the collision. “We will not rest until we get to the bottom of this incident and identify the vessel that rammed onto our fisherfolk,” Senate President Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, who shared the coast guard report, told reporters in a Viber group chat.
“If it was an accident, we must figure out whether there was any attempt to assist our fisherfolk at all, as should have been done under international humanitarian laws,” he said.
The crew members brought the bodies of those killed including the captain to the village of Cato in Infanta, Pangasinan using their service boats and arrived there on Tuesday morning.
Pacific Anna was sailing to Singapore from Incheon in South Korea and was expected to reach port on Oct. 5, according to ship tracking websites MarineTraffic and VesselFinder.
The Filipino crew had failed to detect the approaching vessel because it was dark and weather was bad, the coast guard said, citing survivors’ accounts.
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. asked Filipinos not to speculate about the accident at Scarborough Shoal.
“Let us allow the PCG to do its job and investigate and let us refrain from engaging in speculation in the meantime,” he said on social media site X before the coast guard report.
“The incident is still under investigation to ascertain the details and circumstances surrounding the collision between the fishing boat and a still unidentified commercial vessel,” he added.
Mr. Marcos assured victims and their families that his government would hold those responsible accountable.
Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” N. Hontiveros-Baraquel reiterated the need to increase the Philippine Coast Guard’s intelligence funds for next year.
“Bajo de Masinloc, since time immemorial, has been a traditional fishing ground of our fisherfolk and is well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone,” she said in a statement. “These waters should be free and safe for all fishermen.”
“The incident could have been prevented if there were more PCG patrols at Bajo de Masinloc. Aside from preventing such accidents, they can also be more effective in protecting our waters and our fisherfolk,” Party-list Rep. France L. Castro said in a separate statement.
“Harassment of Filipino fisherfolk by China’s coast guard and militia have been happening for years and many were documented,” she added.
Senator Mary Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares sought increased presence of maritime authorities in the South China Sea, adding that those responsible should be punished.
“It is unfortunate that Filipino fishers have to be vulnerable and unprotected in our own traditional waters,” tweeted Fernando L. Hicap, spokesman of fishers’ group Pamalakaya. “We demand a swift investigation.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
