The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has located the fishing boat that sank off Pangasinan last week after being hit by a foreign oil tanker.
According to PCG spokesperson Admiral Armand Balilo, the fishing boat Dearyn was located 180 nautical miles off Agno, Pangasinan.
“Based on the PCG report, the fishing boat Dearyn is reportedly in bad condition and would require to be lifted onboard a salvor ship to prevent further damaging the boat that would be used in the investigation of the collision with a crude oil tanker TCR Pacific Anna,” Balilo said in a message.
“From its initial position of being capsized on its left side, with its two outriggers already detached and its plywood-made bow already missing, the fishing boat was reported to be floating,” he added.
Balilo also said that the salvor is expected to reach the location in two days’ travel and will make it back to mainland Pangasinan on a two or three days voyage.
“The salvor, which is expected to leave Navotas on Monday evening, would take around two days of travel time to reach the location of the FFB Dearyn and it would take another two to three days to reach the shore,” Balilo said.
Earlier, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said that they want to recover the fishing boat and use it as evidence in the cases that may be filed over the collision.
The foreign crude oil vessel believed to be the Marshall Islands-flagged TCR Pacific Anna struck the fishing boat last Monday causing the fishing boat to capsize.
The incident killed three Filipino fishermen, including the captain of the vessel, eleven members of the crew survived the incident.
The boat was reportedly moored to a fish aggregating device called a ‘payao’ when the collision happened in the waters off Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal.
Tarriela said the recovery of the boat could support the Philippines’ case against the Pacific Anna’s owner if found that the ship was involved in the collision.
The Coast Guard has already sent a letter to the Marshall Islands, where the vessel was registered, requesting them to reach out to the owner and “be cooperative in the ongoing investigation we are conducting,” Tarriela said.
PCG also sent a letter to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, where Pacific Anna was sailing from Incheon, South Korea.
Tarriela said that the two authorities “have already noted the facts” about the Coast Guard’s independent investigation but have yet to send more information.
“What we are demanding here is to hold whoever is at fault for running over the fishing boat of our countrymen and your insurance—your damages, compensation to the victims,” he said.