PCG chief: Collision off Scarborough nothing to do with WPS issues

FILE PHOTO: The BRP Teresa Magbanua, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Fleet’s largest vessel deployed at the Kalayaan Island Group. PHOTO FROM PCG

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commander Admiral Artemio Abu on Thursday said the collision of vessels near Scarborough Shoal “has nothing to do with the issue in the West Philippine Sea.”

Abu stressed during an ambush interview that the area where the tragic incident happened is a “major thoroughfare” of ships.

Filipino-manned fishing boat FFB Dearyn and foreign flag-carrying oil tanker Pacific Anna figured in a collision off Scarborough Shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc (BDM) and Panatag Shoal, on Monday, October 2. This incident resulted in the death of three Filipino fishermen and the injury of another. The tank ship is registered under the Marshall Islands, a country in the Pacific.

Authorities said FFB Dearyn was moored to a “payao” or a fish aggregating device some 85 nautical miles (NM) northwest of the shoal or 180 NM from Agno, Pangasinan.

“It has nothing to do with the issue in the West Philippine Sea,” Abu said, adding that the incident also “has nothing to do with the issue in BDM” where Chinese Coast Guard recently placed a floating barrier to supposedly prevent Filipino fishermen from fishing in the area. PCG personnel has since removed the floating barrier.

Abu likewise said the PCG has already reached out to authorities in Singapore where the oil tanker is expected to arrive in the coming days.

READ: DFA awaits probe result on fishermen’s death in Bajo de Masinloc

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