Alien ship rams boat off P’sinan; 3 fishers drown
>> Wednesday, October 11, 2023
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INFANTA, Pangasinan -- Senators on Wednesday condemned the fatal ramming of a Filipino fishing vessel by a foreign oil tanker in the West Philippine Sea early this week that claimed three Filipino lives.
“We are extremely outraged and aggrieved by the fatal ramming of a Filipino fishing boat by a Marshall Islands-registered oil tanker in the West Philippine Sea, which resulted in the loss of three innocent lives,” Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri told reporters in a press briefing at the Senate.
“This crude oil tanker should have had the proper equipment and radar to be able to detect even small fishing boats,” he said, adding that the crew of the ship should
be held accountable for what he described as a “hit-and-run” road incident.
“It’s like a hit-and-run incident on our roads. Homicide charges can be filed if there was clear neglect on their part,” he said.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported three Filipino fishermen were killed when their fishing boat was rammed by the foreign commercial vessel at Bajo de Masinloc, Zambales on Monday.
Pangasinan provincial police said the incident happened 180 nautical miles or 333 kilometers northwest of Barangay Cato in Infanta town on Monday, Oct. 2.
A report from the office of Police Col. Jeff Fanged, Pangasinan provincial police director, said that Johnny Manlolo, a crew member of F/B Dearyn, reported the incident.
The victims were reportedly fishing on board F/B Dearyn when the foreign vessel navigating south hit their boat’s starboard side and outrigger.
As a result, F/B Dearyn capsized and three fishermen aboard drowned – Dexter Laundensia, 40, boat captain; Romeo Mejico, 38, and Benedick Uladandria, 62, residents of Barangay Calapandayan, Subic, Zambales.
Eleven fishermen were rescued and identified as Johnny Manlolo, 40; Estelito Sumayang, 50; Mario An, 50; Mandy An, 22; Michel An, 37; Gino Arpon, 30; John Michel Nogas, 37; Noriel Tolores, 27; William Asuntista, 39; Darwin Mejia, 32, and Reymark Bautista, 30, all from Barangay Calapandayan.
The fatalities were declared dead by Dr. Marjorie M. Piga, municipal health officer of Infanta.
Rescued were taken to the RHU Infanta for medical examination and assessment.
Infanta chief of police Capt. Christopher Nacional said they have coordinated with the Philippine Coast Guard regarding the incident.
Following this, Deputy Minority leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro urged the House of Representatives to investigate the death of three Filipino fishermen following a boat-ramming incident in Bajo de Masinloc.
The vessel that rammed Filipino fishing vessel FFB Dearyn was identified as Pacific Anna, a crude oil tanker registered under the flag of the Marshall Islands.
According to a survivor’s account, while the FFB Dearyn was moored some 85 nautical miles from Bajo de Masinloc at around 4:20 a.m.. Monday, eight crew members were fishing off a floating device known as a payao while six crew members, including the boat captain, remained on the mother boat.
Since it was gloomy following a sudden storm, the crew did not notice a southbound commercial vessel heading straight toward them.
It rammed the starboard side outrigger, causing the FFB Dearyn to capsize.
The Filipino crew panicked and tried to escape from the area while the unidentified vessel continued on its course.
“However, at approximately 8 a.m. on Monday, the eight scattered crew members returned to the mother boat and retrieved the bodies of the three casualties from inside the pilot house,” the PCG said, quoting the survivors.
The survivors then proceeded to Coast Guard Sub-Station Infanta with the three bodies, using their eight small service boats.
The Coast Guard said port state control officers will board the Pacific Anna at its next port.
President’s assurance
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the government will exhaust efforts to hold accountable those responsible for the death of the three Filipino fishermen at Bajo de Masinloc.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Marcos expressed his deep sadness over the deaths of the fishermen.
“We are deeply saddened by the deaths of the three fishermen, including the captain of the fishing boat,” Marcos said. “The incident is under investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the collision between the fishing boat and the commercial vessel.”
He assured victims and their families of government assistance.
Zubiri said: “If they were aware that they rammed the fishing vessel, which led to its capsizing and did not help the crew; if there was a clear intent to do that, of course, charges of homicide can be filed against the ship captain and the shipmates involved.”
The Philippines, he said, should demand financial assistance on behalf of the families of the three fishermen who were killed.
Despicable act
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros also condemned what she called a “despicable act” by the foreign vessel.
Hontiveros called on authorities to hold the foreign vessel’s crew liable for the incident.
Senator Grace Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, echoed her fellow lawmakers’ calls for justice for the Filipino fishermen.
Senator Francis Tolentino said those responsible should be held accountable.
Bajo de Masinloc, or Scarborough Shoal, has long been a source of tension between Manila and Beijing. It is located within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
China seized the ring of reefs from the Philippines in 2012 and has since deployed patrol boats in the area.
Also known as Scarborough Shoal, Bajo de Masinloc is a traditional fishing area of Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
It is a disputed area in the greater South China Sea. -- By Liezle Basa Inigo, Raffy Ayeng, Jom Garner and Lade Jean Kabagani, AFP
“We are extremely outraged and aggrieved by the fatal ramming of a Filipino fishing boat by a Marshall Islands-registered oil tanker in the West Philippine Sea, which resulted in the loss of three innocent lives,” Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri told reporters in a press briefing at the Senate.
“This crude oil tanker should have had the proper equipment and radar to be able to detect even small fishing boats,” he said, adding that the crew of the ship should
be held accountable for what he described as a “hit-and-run” road incident.
“It’s like a hit-and-run incident on our roads. Homicide charges can be filed if there was clear neglect on their part,” he said.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported three Filipino fishermen were killed when their fishing boat was rammed by the foreign commercial vessel at Bajo de Masinloc, Zambales on Monday.
Pangasinan provincial police said the incident happened 180 nautical miles or 333 kilometers northwest of Barangay Cato in Infanta town on Monday, Oct. 2.
A report from the office of Police Col. Jeff Fanged, Pangasinan provincial police director, said that Johnny Manlolo, a crew member of F/B Dearyn, reported the incident.
The victims were reportedly fishing on board F/B Dearyn when the foreign vessel navigating south hit their boat’s starboard side and outrigger.
As a result, F/B Dearyn capsized and three fishermen aboard drowned – Dexter Laundensia, 40, boat captain; Romeo Mejico, 38, and Benedick Uladandria, 62, residents of Barangay Calapandayan, Subic, Zambales.
Eleven fishermen were rescued and identified as Johnny Manlolo, 40; Estelito Sumayang, 50; Mario An, 50; Mandy An, 22; Michel An, 37; Gino Arpon, 30; John Michel Nogas, 37; Noriel Tolores, 27; William Asuntista, 39; Darwin Mejia, 32, and Reymark Bautista, 30, all from Barangay Calapandayan.
The fatalities were declared dead by Dr. Marjorie M. Piga, municipal health officer of Infanta.
Rescued were taken to the RHU Infanta for medical examination and assessment.
Infanta chief of police Capt. Christopher Nacional said they have coordinated with the Philippine Coast Guard regarding the incident.
Following this, Deputy Minority leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro urged the House of Representatives to investigate the death of three Filipino fishermen following a boat-ramming incident in Bajo de Masinloc.
The vessel that rammed Filipino fishing vessel FFB Dearyn was identified as Pacific Anna, a crude oil tanker registered under the flag of the Marshall Islands.
According to a survivor’s account, while the FFB Dearyn was moored some 85 nautical miles from Bajo de Masinloc at around 4:20 a.m.. Monday, eight crew members were fishing off a floating device known as a payao while six crew members, including the boat captain, remained on the mother boat.
Since it was gloomy following a sudden storm, the crew did not notice a southbound commercial vessel heading straight toward them.
It rammed the starboard side outrigger, causing the FFB Dearyn to capsize.
The Filipino crew panicked and tried to escape from the area while the unidentified vessel continued on its course.
“However, at approximately 8 a.m. on Monday, the eight scattered crew members returned to the mother boat and retrieved the bodies of the three casualties from inside the pilot house,” the PCG said, quoting the survivors.
The survivors then proceeded to Coast Guard Sub-Station Infanta with the three bodies, using their eight small service boats.
The Coast Guard said port state control officers will board the Pacific Anna at its next port.
President’s assurance
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the government will exhaust efforts to hold accountable those responsible for the death of the three Filipino fishermen at Bajo de Masinloc.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Marcos expressed his deep sadness over the deaths of the fishermen.
“We are deeply saddened by the deaths of the three fishermen, including the captain of the fishing boat,” Marcos said. “The incident is under investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the collision between the fishing boat and the commercial vessel.”
He assured victims and their families of government assistance.
Zubiri said: “If they were aware that they rammed the fishing vessel, which led to its capsizing and did not help the crew; if there was a clear intent to do that, of course, charges of homicide can be filed against the ship captain and the shipmates involved.”
The Philippines, he said, should demand financial assistance on behalf of the families of the three fishermen who were killed.
Despicable act
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros also condemned what she called a “despicable act” by the foreign vessel.
Hontiveros called on authorities to hold the foreign vessel’s crew liable for the incident.
Senator Grace Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, echoed her fellow lawmakers’ calls for justice for the Filipino fishermen.
Senator Francis Tolentino said those responsible should be held accountable.
Bajo de Masinloc, or Scarborough Shoal, has long been a source of tension between Manila and Beijing. It is located within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
China seized the ring of reefs from the Philippines in 2012 and has since deployed patrol boats in the area.
Also known as Scarborough Shoal, Bajo de Masinloc is a traditional fishing area of Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
It is a disputed area in the greater South China Sea. -- By Liezle Basa Inigo, Raffy Ayeng, Jom Garner and Lade Jean Kabagani, AFP
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