Filipino fisher missing in West PH Sea after boat hit by ‘unidentified’ ship

PCG personnel recovers Fbca John Robert, who capsized after being hit by an unidentified vessel. PHOTO FROM THE PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD

MANILA, Philippines (Updated) — A Filipino fisherman remains missing after a still-unidentified ship hit his boat in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Tuesday.

Filipino fishing boat Fbca John Robert was hit by an unidentified vessel about 62 nautical miles southeast off Sampaloc Point in Subic, Zambales last July 3, causing it to sink, according to PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo.

Balilo said 47-year-old Robert Mondoñedo survived after being rescued on July 6 but his brother Jose Mondoñedo remains missing.

PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan has ordered BRP Sindangan to search for the missing fisherman.

According to Senator Francis Tolentino, chairperson of the Senate panel on maritime and admiralty zones, the ship that hit the Filipino fishing boat allegedly had Chinese characters labeled “Yang Fu,” but its registry was still uncertain.

“Parang hit-and-run sa ating sariling karagatan ang nangyari!” the senator said.

“I remain hopeful that our coast guard can recover safely our missing fisherman, Jose Mondeñedo, and that justice be given to him and his brother Robert, and their families.

“The ship responsible, initially identified as Chinese vessel Yang Fu, must be tracked down and held accountable under Philippine and international maritime laws,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Balilo told INQUIRER.net over the phone that they “are still investigating and we are backtracking” when asked if they were aware of the reports from Tolentino.

Balilo said the PCG is now looking into the automatic identification system logged by the cargo vessels and other commercial vessels in the area.

When asked if the commercial vessels could be the culprit of this incident, Balilo said: “Well yes, because the area is a maritime trade route, and based on our observation, there are so many ships which passed by there.”

Similar allision incidents occurred in the West Philippine Sea previously.

READ: PH ready to protect fishermen in West Philippine Sea

A maritime incident is described as allision — as opposed to collision — when a vessel runs over a stationary boat.

In December 2023, a Filipino fishing boat Ruel J was moored to a fishing aggregation device or payao when it had an alleged allision with Chinese bulk carrier MV Tai Hang 8. Five of its crew were safe.

Another allision incident involving a Marshall Islands-flagged carrier occurred off Scarborough Shoal last October 2023, which led to the death of three crew members.

The South China Sea is a channel for more than $3 trillion worth of annual maritime commerce.

Beijing claims sovereignty there, which encroaches most of the West Philippine Sea as it continues to reject a 2016 international tribunal ruling that heavily ruled in favor of Manila. —With a report from Adrian Parungao