Senators Call For 'Unbiased' Probe, Accountability In Deaths Of 3 Filipino Fishermen Near Scarborough Shoal

Three Filipino fishermen died early Monday morning after an unidentified commercial ship "rammed" into a Philippine fishing mother boat near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Wednesday. The PCG said it was already conducting a "thorough investigation" into the incident as Philippine senators call for accountability in the incident.

PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela identified the victims as Dexter Laudencia (boat captain), 47, and crew members Romeo Mejeco, 38, and Benedicto Olandria, 62.

Filipino senators have condemned the incident, calling for an "unbiased" probe into the circumstances leading to the tragedy.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the senate was "extremely outraged and aggrieved" by the incident, adding that if the alleged ramming of the fishing boat was an accident, "we must figure out whether there was an attempt to assist our fisherfolk at all."

"The authorities must conduct a comprehensive and unbiased investigation," said Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, while Sen. Francis Tolentino, who heads the Senate special committee on maritime and admiralty zones, said those responsible should be held accountable.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros particularly mentioned the Pacific Anna, calling the alleged ramming of the vessel into the Filipino fishing boat "deplorable."

Sen. Grace Poe wants more maritime presence in Philippine waters to ensure the safety of local fishermen.

Filipino fishing boat (FFB) Dearyn was "rammed" by an "unidentified foreign commercial vessel transiting the vicinity waters off Bajo de Masinloc" (internationally called Scarborough Shoal) at around 4:20 a.m. Monday (4:20 p.m. Sunday EST), resulting in the death of the three crew members, the PCG said in an incident report, which was posted on Facebook at 10 a.m. Wednesday (10 p.m. Tuesday EST) and cited by local media.

The FFB Dearyn submerged after it was rammed, with 11 crew members surviving the maritime incident. The surviving crew used their eight service boats to depart the vicinity waters and transport the deceased to Infanta, Pangasinan, the PCG said.

The initial incident report has been deleted on Facebook.

The PCG updated its initial report on the incident, saying the Filipino fishing boat "accidentally collided" with a "foreign commercial vessel transiting the vicinity waters off Bajo de Masinloc."

The PCG added that a survivor said six crew members, including the captain, were on the mother boat as the other crew members were fishing at different locations. "Due to the adverse weather conditions causing darkness, the crew on board the mother boat failed to detect an unidentified vessel approaching, resulting in a collision that caused the mother boat to capsize," the PCG said in its updated report.

After cross-referencing the accounts of fishermen and monitoring marine traffic, the PCG found that the crude oil tanker vessel the Pacific Anna, which is registered under the flag of the Marshall Islands, "aligns with the details provided by the fishermen," suggesting the said tanker vessel may have collided with the FFB Dearyn.

The PCG also deleted its updated incident report and replaced it with one that mentioned an "accidental ramming" of the fishing boat by a "passing tanker vessel."

Fernando Hicap, national chairperson of the Filipino fisherfolk group PAMALAKAYA, said in a statement to ABS-CBN News that the organization was demanding a "swift investigation on the circumstances" surrounding the deaths of the three fishermen.

Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said he was "deeply saddened" by the deaths of the fishermen.

"We assure the victims, their families, and everyone that we will exert every effort to hold accountable those who are responsible for this unfortunate maritime incident," the president said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. He also vowed assistance to the victims' families.

News of the maritime incident came as tensions between China and the Philippines escalated following the PCG's discovery of a "hazardous floating barrier" that Chinese maritime militia installed at the disputed Scarborough Shoal late last month.

Since then, the two sides have exchanged verbal warnings, with Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin saying Manila should not "stir up trouble" in the area it calls Huangyan Dao. Wang's remarks were made after the PCG said it removed the floating barrier last week.

Beijing claims virtually the entire South China Sea and emphasized its claims in a recently released map that upgraded its infamous nine-dash line to a 10-dash line.

This is a developing story.