The discussions on compensation for Filipino fishermen abandoned by a Chinese vessel that hit their boat in the West Philippine Sea finally moves forward after two years.
Philippine officials from the Justice and Foreign Affairs departments met with China’s Bureau of Fisheries and representatives of owners of the Chinese fishing vessel on Monday, according to Justice Undersecretary Adrian Sugay.
He said on Tuesday that the talks focused on the compensation for actual and moral damages for the owner of the F/B Gem-Ver fishing boat and its 22 Filipino fishermen. Sugay did not give the exact figures but said the number previously mentioned by DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra still stands. The compensation requested by the Gem-Ver camp will total P12.016 million to pay for boat expenses, six months of lost income, and moral damages.
The DOJ said Philippine officials underscored the violations committed by the Chinese fishermen when their vessel hit the anchored F/B Gem-Ver near Recto Bank, an underwater feature claimed by both Manila and Beijing, then left the Filipino fishermen floating in the open sea on June 9, 2019. They were eventually rescued by Vietnamese fishermen.
“The Philippine panel invited attention to the fact that the crew members of the Chinese fishing vessel, in violation of relevant international conventions and customary international maritime law, failed to extend assistance to persons who were clearly in distress at sea,” the statement said.
As for China’s side, the representatives of the owners of the Chinese fishing vessel informed the Gem-Ver team of their counter-proposal. Sugay said the opposing sides may meet again depending on whether or not the Gem-Ver camp accepts the counter-proposal. He added that filing a case after the compensation will also hinge on the decision of the two parties.
The owner of the Chinese vessel that rammed the Gem-Ver boat earlier apologized, but maintained that it was an “accidental collision.”
2015 Nine Media Corp.