Solons Expedite Compensation for Slain Fishermen in Scarborough Collision

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Senators appealed to the Republic of Marshall Islands-flagged Pacific Anna which rammed a Filipino fishing boat, resulting in the death of three fishermen around Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) last October 2.

The motion was intended to avoid legal red tape and to compensate the victims’ families, as well as the 11 survivors in the October 2 sea mishap. 

Sen. Francis Tolentino, head of the Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III and Sen. Robin Padilla called on the owner of the commercial ship that hit Filipino fishing boat Dearyn to immediately compensate the families of the three Filipino fishermen — who died during the accident.

“We should not be legalistic. What help can we give to those who died and the survivors who lost their source income? Already, they have phobia (of fishing),” stressed Tolentino.

It was the Philippine Coast Guard that reported the Filipino fishermen were fishing around Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea (WPs) when the accident happened last October 2.

In determining liability, Capt. Leo Bolivar, Republic of the Marshall Islands Deputy Commissioner for Maritime Affairs,  said they should refer to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He said compensation will be given in case of the liability of the vessel.

He also said the preliminary investigation of Marshall Islands’ Maritime and Corporate Registries on the incident is being concluded and the report will be submitted to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) database due to their obligation under IMO- Casualty Investigation Code. It will be visible for Port State Control (PSC).

But the three senators noted the case may drag on for years pending the final results of any probe based on UNCLOS and international treaties. 

Pimentel said that accidents do happen but in this case no one goes to jail. He explained that there’s an insurance system to pay for the compensation of victims. 

He also told Bolivar (who happens to be a Filipino) to inform the higher-ups in in Marshall Islands not to be legalistic in helping.

” I hope we could consider giving them compensation right away. I want to suggest to the government and to our visitors that for humanitarian purposes, we could consider giving them early compensation because these are very poor fishermen. I hope we could consider giving them compensation right away,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tolentino called out the difficult regulations of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) for Filipino fishermen in securing fishing permit.

In the same hearing, it was discovered that Filipino fishermen who fail to comply with MARINA’s certification requirements suffer from confiscation of fish harvests.

According to Michael An — one of the 11 fishermen who survived the fatal maritime collision — fishermen are having a hard time to register their ships because of the inaccessibility of MARINA office, which is located in Manila.