Commercial ship in West PH Sea collision operated by Chinese-Korean firm

The PCG shares a photo of the ill-fated FFB Dearyn, the fishing boat which collided with a commercial ship in the West Philippine Sea. Photo from PCG

MANILA, Philippines — The foreign commercial vessel involved in the October 2 fatal collision in the West Philippine Sea is operated by a Chinese-Korean firm, senators learned on Thursday.

This was revealed when the Senate special committee on Philippine maritime and admiralty zones conducted its own probe into the sea incident that killed three Filipino fishermen and injured another.

“Yung revelation lang dito ‘yung lumabas, ‘yung tanong na sino ang may-ari ng barko? ‘Yung Sinokor. Sinokor is a Chinese-Korean Corporation,” Senator  Francis Tolentino told reporters after the hearing.

(The only revelation that came out here is the question of who owns the ship? The Sinokor. Sinokor is a Chinese-Korean Corporation.)

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed this information in a text message to INQUIRER.net.

PCG spokesperson Rear Adm. Armando Balilo verified that Sinokor is a joint venture of  Chinese-Korean groups.

During the hearing, Senate Minority  Leader Aquilino “Koko”  Pimentel III asked about the background of crude oil tanker Pacific Anna that rammed into the Filipino fishing boat FFB Dearyn.

READ: Marshall Islands-listed oil tanker eyed in Scarborough Shoal collision – PCG

“It’s actually owned by Sinokor,” Captain Leo Bolivar, deputy  commissioner for maritime affairs of Republic of the Marshall Islands, answered.

But he later clarified his statement.

“I have a confirmation here that the shipowner is a Compass Shipping 28 Corporation Limited with an address care of  Sinokor Maritime Company Limited…in Seoul, Korea,” Bolivar said.

A quick look at Sinokor’s website revealed that the company is a “joint venture between Chinese and  Korean groups,” Tolentino said.

READ: PCG finds Filipino fishermen’s ill-fated boat a week after collision

“Senator (Robin) Padilla just opened the website, apparently this is a joint venture between Chinese and  Korean groups,” he said.

Bolivar, however,  hesitated to confirm this information.

“Anyway, the name gives us a hint, Sinokor  must be a China-Korea corporation,” Pimentel said. With a report from John Eric Mendoza

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