The ramming incident in Scarborough Shoal is a wake-up call to sovereignty
SCARBOROUGH SHOAL – Three fishermen lost their lives in a tragic incident when an unknown commercial fishing vessel collided with their fishing boat near Bajo de Masinloc.
The collision occurred 85 nautical miles (approximately 157.42 kilometers) from Bajo de Masinloc and caused the sinking of the fishing boat named Dearyn. This unfortunate event took place at around 4:20 a.m. last Monday, with eleven crew members managing to survive.
According to one of the crew members who spoke to the Coast Guard, their fishing boat was anchored to a floating fish aggregating device called a “payao” when the collision took place. The crew transported the bodies of the deceased to Barangay Cato in Infanta, Pangasinan, using their service boats, and they arrived there on Tuesday morning.
Alex Corpuz, the Coast Guard’s station commander in Pangasinan, explained that the incident occurred during severe weather conditions. Corpuz mentioned the possibility that some crew members might have suffered “head trauma” due to the collision.
In response to the incident, authorities are conducting an investigation to determine the exact circumstances. Meanwhile, it’s important to note that Scarborough Shoal, a contentious area in the West Philippine Sea, has been a focal point of tension, particularly after China placed a floating barrier there, which the Philippine Coast Guard later removed.
It’s indeed heart-wrenching to learn that three lives were lost in this accident. The fact that this collision occurred quite far from the shore makes it even more distressing. Fortunately, there were survivors among the crew.
However, the country should assert its sovereignty by identifying the country or foreign vessel responsible for the incident. It’s time for the Philippines to wake up and respond to these acts of aggression. As the saying goes, “Not everyone around you is your friend.”
The Philippines should, at the very least, appeal once again to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea regarding this ongoing conflict, in hopes of bringing the issue to a resolution.
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