Loved ones of Pinoy fishers in Recto Bank incident shocked, distraught

The families of the 22 Filipino fishermen aboard the boat that was hit and sunk by a Chinese fishing vessel in the Recto Bank were deeply upset by the incident.

According to a report by Marisol Abdurahman in GMA's 24 Oras on Thursday, the wife of the boat's captain Jonel Insigne was shocked when she learned about the collision.

"Naaawa ako sa asawa ko eh. 'Yan ang hanap-buhay namin, pangingisda," Lanie Insigne said.

The relatives of the affected fishermen heard about the incident after Jonel contacted his cousin Jimwel Tañedo in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro using the radio of the Vietnamese ship that rescued them.

Jimwel is not convinced that the Chinese fishing vessel did not notice the boat of the local fishermen.

"Maliwanag ang ilaw nila, naka-anchor lang po sila," he said.

The kin of the fishermen was dismayed that they were abandoned by the Chinese ship that hit them, and demanded payment for the damages that the incident has incurred.

"Bayaran po nila 'yung mga ano nila, mga damage ng bangka pati po 'yung mga huli nila," Insigne said.

The locals of Barangay San Roque 1 in the town of San Jose have to spend three nights and four days in the open waters just to reach Recto Bank and fish there for a living.

As of Thursday night, the 22 rescued fishermen were already on their way back to their village.

The Philippines has already filed a diplomatic protest over the Recto Bank incident, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. —NB, GMA News