Noy says gov't probing Panatag 'ramming' incident

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III on Monday said the government is still investigating reports that a Chinese vessel accidentally rammed a Philippine fishing boat near the disputed Panatag Shoal in the West Philippines, which left one Filipino fisherman dead and four others missing.

"We are gathering all of the necessary evidence. We are not accusing anybody at this point in time," Aquino said in an interview with reporters after the oath-taking of new members of the Liberal Party from the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Aquino said if there was indeed a ramming incident and the vessel at fault did nothing  to rescue the crewmen of the rammed Philippine fishing boat, "that is a clear violation of the laws governing the seas."

"That is actionable. We can go to the appropriate fora to file the necessary charges for justice for our fishermen," the President said.

The President, meanwhile, added that  the Philippines has yet to determine which vessel was at fault. He asked the public to refrain from  making accusations pending the results of the investigation.

"Baka mamaya niyan baligtad lahat ng natuklasan doon sa ebidensya," Aquino said.

Benito Ramos, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director, said  the local fishing boat marked AXL John set out from the northern coastal of Bolinao in Pangasinan last Monday and was reported to have sunk two days later.

The sinking reportedly happened north of the disputed Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

The NDRRMC said that the boat was anchored to a payaw (fish sanctuary) when it was rammed by the unidentified vessel.

One of the Filipino fishermen, identified as Christopher Carbonell, died after being rescued and brought to a hospital. Three more fishermen have been rescued and four more are still missing.

The missing fishermen were identified as Fred Celino, Arnold Garcia, Domy de los Santos and Amante Resonable, all residents of Bolinao town in Pangasinan.

Ramos said that the rescued fishermen told authorities that the vessel that collided with their boat was Chinese.

The NDRRMC said  search and rescue operations are being conducted by various units of the Philippine Coast Guard.

China: No report of mishap

China, meanwhile, said that it has yet  to verify reports about the incident.

"Such media reports remain to be verified. Upon seeing the stories, the Chinese Embassy immediately checked with the relevant authorities in China and was told that, up until now there have been no reports of vessel collision accident or SOS requests on the reported dates and in the reported waters," the Chinese embassy said in its website.

The statement added: "We wonder what that news story was based upon. We hope relevant persons can verify the facts with a responsible attitude before they report."

China and Philippines are currently locked in a dispute over Panatag Shoal, which sits about 230 kilometers (124 nautical miles) off Masinloc town in Zambales. The nearest major Chinese landmass is 1,200 kilometers northwest of the shoal, according to Philippine Navy maps.

The Philippines says the shoal is well within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

Citing historical bases, China claims nearly all of South China Sea, even waters close to the coasts of neighboring countries.