PCG: Vessel in Philippine boat ramming still unknown
Credit to Author: Evelyn Macairan| Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — The identity of the vessel which rammed a Philippine fishing boat on Jan. 30 in the vicinity of the Spratly Islands remains unknown, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
The PCG’s Bataan station commander, Lt. Commander Michael John Encina, yesterday said they still have no information on the identity of the vessel that hit the wooden fishing boat FBCA Prince Elmo 2.
Any details that might have been gleaned from the Vessel Traffic Monitoring System (VTMS) could not be obtained because the survivors could not remember the exact time that the incident occurred.
“The five fishermen who survived the incident were unable to give us the specific time when they were hit,” Encina said. “(That) would have served as basis for the VTMS to check its records and identify the other vessel (involved in the incident).”
Encina said they have terminated search and rescue for the three missing fishermen – which involved ships patrolling the WPS and an expanded search toward Bataan, Pampanga, Cavite, Romblon and Palawan – but have continued to inform mariners and those living in coastal barangays to alert the coast guard if the missing persons are spotted.
The Prince Elmo 2 reportedly left Naic, Cavite on Jan. 17 with eight fishermen on board.
They intended to fish in Lubang Island, Occidental Mindoro until Jan. 30.
Encina said the fishermen wandered aimlessly at sea for several days. “Their basis was only (through) celestial navigation.”
In the evening of Jan. 30, their boat was hit by an unidentified ship.