PCG informs China of Subic incident, missing Filipino fisherman

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday said it has informed the Chinese Embassy in Manila regarding the maritime incident off Subic in Zambales, which led to the disappearance of a Filipino fisherman.

In a statement, PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said authorities were looking at the involvement of two Chinese ships in the "allision of a foreign vessel" and the boat of fisherman Jose Mondoñedo on July 3.

"We have informed the Chinese Embassy in Manila regarding the incident. We will also write to the China Maritime Safety Agency for their cooperation in the ongoing investigation," he said.

The two Chinese ships, identified as Yong Fa Men and Mei Lan Hu, were described by the PCG as "suspected foreign vessels."

Balilo added that the PCG is in coordination with the Indonesian Port State Control as the two Chinese vessels were in the vicinity waters off Adang Bay, Indonesia as of posting time.

BRP Sindangan (MRRV-4407) continues to scour nearby waters to find Mondoñedo, according to Balilo.

Brothers Robert and Jose embarked from Barangay Wawandaue in Subic on July 1 to reach their payao, a floating aggregate device to attract fish, in the vicinity waters off Sampaloc Point.

According to Robert, their boat was hit by another vessel at around 3 p.m. on July 3, causing it to sink. The PCG described the incident as an allision—wherein a stationary vessel is hit by a moving one.

Robert survived the incident but Jose remains missing.

"'Yung kapatid ko nakatayo, tapos sabi ko sa kanya, 'huwag ka tumalon.' Andoon ako sa bangka. Ngayon, 'yung bangka pumailalim. Ngayon, kasama po ako. Ang ginawa ko masyadong malalim na, kasi nakahawak ako sa kawayan, ang ginawa ko nagbitaw ako," Robert said.

(My brother was standing, and I told him not to jump. I was in the boat, and it went under. I went under, too. I let go because it was too deep and I was holding the bamboo.)

When he broke the surface, he saw his brother Jose getting dragged away by the vessel.

Robert said he knew that he wouldn't be able to catch up due to the strength of the waves and the distance between them. After only a few minutes, he could no longer see his brother.

He clung to the payao and was rescued by another boat three days later.

"Ginawa [nila] naman kaming baboy… Mga tao din kami… P_a 'yang mga barko na 'yan. Kaya pag matulog ako, 'di ko talaga mawala sa isip ko talaga 'yung kapatid ko dahil dalawa kami eh," Robert said.

([Those] people treated us like pigs… We are also people… F_ those ships. That's why when I sleep, I can't stop thinking about my brother because there are the two of us.)

In June 2019, the Chinese fishing vessel Yuemaobinyu 42212 rammed the F/B Gem-Ver 1 at Recto Bank. It then left the area and abandoned 22 Filipino fishermen drifting in the sea, clinging on the wreckage of their boat for hours, until a passing Vietnam ship rescued them. — VDV, GMA Integrated News