Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is continuously tracking down a foreign ship which rammed the fishing boat of a Filipino fisher who has remained missing for two weeks now.
The hit-and-run incident happened off the waters of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in Subic last July 3.
Tolentino said the PCG is already looking into two ships of interest docked in Indonesia
Robert Mondoneidos, brother of the missing Jose, remembered that the cargo vessel that smashed their fishing boat had Chinese character markings and the words “Yang Fu.”
He told Tolentino and Subic Mayor Jon Khonghun that prior to the incident, their fishing boat was tied to a payao while he and Jose were having lunch around 12:30 noon.
Robert also said he saw his younger brother being swept under the cargo ship.
He added that Jose’s body emerged from the water minutes later off the ship’s propeller, unconscious and facing down.
The senator, chair of the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones, also talked to Admiral Ronnie Gavan who informed him the PCG has intensified its search and rescue operations of the missing Filipino fisherman.
Furthermore, he has already coordinated with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to gather facts and file appropriate charges against the ship that would be found liable.
“But in the meantime, the most important thing is to find Jose,”said Tolentino.
He extended assistance to the family of the missing fisherman.
Tolentino also visited the wake of Councilor Aleysander Aquino. It was Aquino who first reported to the senator about the hit-and-run incident and the missing fishermen.
The town councilor succumbed to a heart attack.
