MANILA, Philippines — The 22 Filipino fishermen and owner of the F/B Gem-Ver have received P6 million in compensation from the owner of the Chinese vessel that rammed their boat in Recto Bank in 2019.
Justice Undersecretary Adrian Ferdinand Sugay said yesterday the fishermen and Gem-Ver owner Felix dela Torre received the amount last May 16.
“Full compensation has been made in favor of the vessel owner and the fishermen,” Sugay said.
Chinese fishing vessel Yuemaobinyu 42212, reportedly owned by Liang Jin based in Guangdong province, rammed the Gem-Ver while anchored.
Except for the cook, all the fishermen in the boat were reportedly sleeping when the incident occurred.
Instead of rendering assistance, Yuemaobinyu 42212 reportedly switched off its lights and left the Filipino fishermen adrift in the sea. The fishermen were rescued by a Vietnamese fishing boat after three hours.
A team from the Department of Justice and Department of Foreign Affairs coordinated with representatives from China for the grant of compensation.