MANILA, Philippines — As the investigation into the collision between a Chinese cargo vessel and a Philippine fishing boat draws to a close, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is preparing charges against the offending vessel.
Vice Adm. George Ursabia Jr., commandant of the PCG, said the investigation on the crew members of Hong Kong-flagged MV Vienna Woods is finished and lawyers are getting sworn statements from the mariners who responded to the incident.
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"We are now building up pieces of evidence to file criminal charges against MV Vienna Wood," Ursabia said in an interview with radio dzBB, adding that the statements from the mariners will also be included.
The PCG chief stressed that MV Vienna Woods is a large vessel and the standard operating procedure for mariners is to keep a safe distance, in this case FV Liberty 5, in case of a maritime accident.
"If the larger vessel will not go away, there is a big chance that it will hit the smaller vessel," Ursabia said in Filipino.
Initial investigation found that the Chinese vessel did not deploy a smaller rescue boat due to unfavorable sea conditions at the time. The collision off the coast of Occidental Mindoro occurred at around 10:40 p.m. on June 27 while the offending vessel sent a distress call through email to the coast guard about three hours after the incident.
According to the coast guard, MV Vienna Wood prioritized proper navigation as there were other smaller vessels in the area.
Ursabia also clarified that the Chinese bulk carrier did not commit hit-and-run, contrary to claims of some critics, as it stayed in the vicinity after the collision with FV Liberty 5.
"MV Vienna Wood did not commit hit-and-run. They went away to achieve a safe distance. After that, they noticed that there are seven vessels that responded to the capsized vessel," Ursabia said.
MV Vienna Wood reportedly detected FV Liberty 5 and another fishing vessel. The collision with the Philippine fishing boat happened when the Chinese ship maneuvered to avoid it but they were too late, according to the PCG chief.
Shift to search and retrieval operations
After three days of search and rescue operations for the 12 missing fishermen and two passengers aboard the fishing boat, the PCG will be shifting to search and retrieval operations.
The coast guard earlier said the 14 missing Filipinos might have been trapped under the boat when it capsized due to the impact from the Chinese vessel.
Ursabia told radio dzBB that the shift to search and retrieval operations is usually done after three full days without any sign of life.
"But we are not losing hope. Miracle is reality. There is a possibility that they are still alive," Ursabia said in a mix of English and Filipino.
The coast guard will be conducting search and retrieval operations for the next two days and they will decide by Sunday whether to extend or terminate the operation.
The PCG, along with the PCG Auxiliary, stands ready to provide assistance to the families of the missing fishermen, Ursabia said.