Ramming incident: Ship may not have come from disputed area

MANILA, Philippines – Vice Admiral Edmund Tan, commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard, said Monday that the vessel that rammed a local fishing boat north of Scarborough Shoal last week may not have come from the disputed area.

Tan told reporters in a press conference aired live on Radyo Inquirer 990AM that the incident that left a fisherman dead and three others injured happened 78 nautical miles northwest of Pangasinan.

It is roughly 138 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal, which was located east of Zambales.

Initial information received by the PCG from its coastal center in Zambales also indicated that the ship responsible for fishing boat AXL John’s mishap was not a Chinese government vessel but may be a cargo vessel.

Tan said authorities were also verifying reports on the movements of a cargo vessel “Peach Mountain” that was monitored in the area of the incident by PCG.

The PCG suspects that this was the vessel responsible for the accident, having been monitored at 8:46 a.m. within the area. It was heading north, possibly to China, the PCG commandant said.

Tan said that they were also coordinating with Hong Kong maritime authorities after survivors told investigators that they saw the words “Hong Kong” on rear of the vessel which hit their boat.

The location of the incident was a common route of ships, Tan added.

“This is a free navigation area. They are free to do that so long as they don’t do anything illegal.”

For now, the PCG was concentrating more on rescuing four fishermen still missing, said Tan, adding that they have yet to confirm the identity of the vessel that hit AXL John.

For more of the report, listen to Radyo Inquirer 990AM.