Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 6) — Sen. Bato dela Rosa is not eliminating the possibility that the foreign vessel that rammed a Filipino fishing boat off Bajo de Masinloc may be registered under a different flag, as he eyes filing a Senate resolution to investigate the incident.
In a phone interview shared with reporters on Friday, Dela Rosa said the probe into the Oct. 2 tragedy, which killed three fishermen, must take into account all possible angles and be thoroughly investigated.
Dela Rosa, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Order, said representatives of MT Pacific Anna, an oil tanker that appeared to be registered in the Marshall Islands, may be invited to a hearing to shed light on the incident.
“Di maiiwasan na magdududa ‘yong tao, baka mamaya registered sa ibang entity ‘yong ship na ‘yan, tapos baka mamaya, alam mo na ‘yong marumi ang pag-iisip, baka ginamit ‘yon purposely talaga para i-ram lang ‘yong kuwan dahil may galit na sila sa ating mga fisherman di ba,” he said.
[Translation: It’s inevitable for people to doubt, that maybe the ship is registered under a different entity, and maybe, those who would think of the worst, it was used purposely to ram the Filipino boat because they were angry at our fishermen.]
“I hope it was a plain accident so that walang ibang [there are no other] political or geopolitical implications. I hope really,” he added.
There were speculations about the involvement of China in the incident, especially after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that it happened northwest of Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, a disputed area in the West Philippine Sea. The PCG has since clarified the actual location to be somewhere near Agno, Pangasinan.
PCG Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu on Thursday categorically said the incident has no connection to the tensions between the Philippines and China over disputes in the West Philippine Sea.
According to the PCG, the 11 fishermen who survived the incident used their small service boats to transport the bodies of their fallen companions to Infanta, Pangasinan.
The PCG also said initial information shows the collision was an accident. But this does not extinguish the liability of MT Pacific Anna, said Sen. Francis Tolentino, head of the Senate Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones.
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In an interview with CNN Philippines’ The Source on Thursday, PCG Pangasinan station commander Alex Corpuz said the MT Pacific Anna violated two international regulations, as initial investigation showed there was no attempt to conduct search and rescue operations on the part of the foreign vessel.
“So kailangan mag-cooperate rin sila sa imbestigasyon, kailangan ‘yong ship captain mag comply sa all existing regulations concerning coalition avoidance, kailangan umiwas ka,” Tolentino said.
[Translation: So they must also cooperate in the investigation, the ship captain must comply with all existing regulations concerning coalition avoidance, you must avoid it.]
Tolentino said the victims’ families and the PCG can file criminal and civil cases before local courts. These include a case in violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), particularly the vessels’ duty to render assistance at sea.
Tolentino supported Dela Rosa’s call for a probe but noted that this can only be done when session resumes in November. In the meantime, he said he is confident that the results of the PCG’s investigation will be credible.
He again pushed for the law on archipelagic sea lanes, saying designating routes for local and international maritime vehicles would prevent maritime incidents.
CNN Philippines correspondent Eimor Santos contributed to this report.
