Coast Guard searching for ship that rammed fishing boat

SUAL, Pangasinan: The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is now scouring the West Philippine Sea to find the ship that rammed a fishing boat from Subic, Zambales on September 30.

Three Filipino fishermen were killed during the incident.

«We have sent an investigation team to interview the fishermen who survived the incident and to get additional data,» said Alexander Corpuz, PCG Pangasinan station commander, in a telephone interview.

Eleven fishermen survived the incident. They arrived in the coastal village of Cato in Infanta town in Pangasinan at about 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 3.

An injured fisherman was immediately given medical attention, said Richie Domingo of the Infanta municipal disaster risk reduction and management office.

The dead fishermen were identified as Dexter Laudencia, 40, the boat's skipper and owner; and crew members Benedicto Olandria, 62; and Romeo Mejico, 38.

They were brought to their homes in Subic on Wednesday, October 4, according to Corpuz.

Southbound

On Wednesday morning, Corpuz said the PCG's only information on the ship that rammed the fishing boat is that it was southbound and that it was a commercial vessel.

But one of the survivors described its color as blue, said Napoleon Domalanta, village chief of Cato.

Corpuz said the incident took place at about 4:30 a.m. on September 30 while the fishermen were fishing in a «payao» about 190 nautical miles (351.88 kilometers) northwest of Infanta, Pangasinan.

A payao is a floating artificial reef usually made up of small bamboo rafts. Palm leaves are hung under the rafts to attract small fish that feed on the planktons that settle on the fronds. In turn, the bigger fish are attracted by the small fish.

«It was the fourth payao that they had visited during that fishing trip,» said Corpuz.

The fishermen left Subic on September 26 aboard their fishing boat F/B Dearyn. While in the payao on September 30, they were met by bad

weather, forcing them to tie their boats in the payao.

Dark and raining

«It was dark and raining and they could not have noticed the ship,» said Domalanta.

Domalanta said that the bad weather they encountered was called «tribunada,» a phenomenon that combines riotous gale and blinding