South China Sea: 3 Filipino fishermen die near Scarborough Shoal after being hit by foreign oil tanker

The fishermen died after their boat was hit by an oil tanker registered under the Marshall Islands’ flag, the Philippine coastguard said on Wednesday
It said the incident occurred about 160km from Scarborough Shoal on Monday and that 11 crew members had survived the sinking

South China Sea

ReutersandSCMP’s Asia desk

Published: 10:06am, 4 Oct 2023

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Three Filipino fishermen died after their fishing boat was hit by an oil tanker while crossing the South China Sea, the Philippine coastguard said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred on Monday while the fishing boat was transiting waters 85 nautical miles (157km) northwest of the disputed Scarborough Shoal, the coastguard said in a statement. Eleven crew members survived after the boat sank.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said on Wednesday that the sinking was still under investigation, but vowed in a post on social media platform X to “exert every effort to hold accountable those who are responsible for this unfortunate maritime incident”. “Let us refrain from engaging in speculation in the meantime,” he added.

An image shared on social media by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr showing the recovery of Filipino fishermen’s bodies following the “unfortunate maritime incident”. Photo: X/@bongbongmarcos

In a post on its Facebook page, the Philippine coastguard initially said it had responded to a “maritime incident involving a Filipino fishing boat rammed by an unidentified foreign commercial vessel transiting the vicinity waters off Bajo de Masinloc”, as the Philippines calls Scarborough Shoal.

A Filipino crew member of the Dearyn fishing boat told officials that the incident occurred around 4:20am on Monday while they were fishing with their “mother boat” 85 nautical miles (157km) northwest of the shoal.

Their fishing boat submerged, resulting in the death of its three crew members, including its captain, the coastguard said. They were aged 38, 47 and 62.

The 11 crew members who survived the maritime incident used their boats to transport the deceased to Cato barangay in Infanta municipality, Pangasinan province, the coastguard said.

They arrived at around 10am on Tuesday and reported the incident to the nearest coastguard substation for assistance. Later on Wednesday, the coastguard described Monday’s incident as an “accidental collision” and said it would be reaching out to the oil tanker that was suspected to be involved, which was registered under the flag of the Marshall Islands.

John Bradford, the executive director of the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies, suggested the episode might have been the result of a piloting error. With the high density of traffic in the disputed waters, he said risks of collision were heightened by vessels that failed to operate in accordance with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.

“While international attention focuses on the geopolitical aspects of Southeast Asia’s maritime security, these safety hazards are taking a day-in-day out toll. We need improved maritime governance,” said Bradford, a former US Navy officer.

05:22

Why the South China Sea dispute remains one of the region’s most pressing issues

The Philippines’ defence chief had last week vowed to stand up to “bullying” in the South China Sea and defend Manila’s territorial claims in the disputed waterway.

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr also said in an interview on Tuesday that the Philippines will set up more military bases to protect its coastal territory.

“These will be joint sites of the coastguard, Philippine navy, Philippine air force and civilian agencies,” Teodoro told local media outlet GMA News, adding that the new locations are yet to be identified and the groundwork for the project will start next year.

Under their 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, the Philippines this year gave the US access to four additional sites near the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, bringing the number of military installations Washington can use in the archipelago nation to nine. The pact allows the US to rotate in troops for prolonged stays, as well as build and operate facilities on its bases.

Teodoro’s remarks followed recent tensions between China and the Philippines that were rekindled by an August incident in which China deployed water cannons at Philippine vessels resupplying the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded Philippine vessel at the Second Thomas Shoal used by the Southeast Asian nation as a makeshift base.

Manila last week said its personnel had removed a Chinese floating barrier near the Scarborough Shoal, a prime fishing spot and one of Asia’s most contested maritime features, calling it a violation of international law and a hazard to navigation.

The strategic shoal, named after a British cargo vessel that ran aground on the atoll in the 18th century, was seized in 2012 by China, which has maintained a constant presence of coastguard and fishing trawlers there ever since.

China has rejected the Philippine version of events over the barrier, while the United States has weighed in with support behind Manila and vowed to honour its treaty commitments to defend its treaty ally if attacked.

Additional reporting by Maria Siow

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