The owner of the sunken F/V Liberty 5, whose 14 fishermen remain missing, agreed to a P40-million settlement from M/V Vienna Wood despite pending criminal charges against the foreign vessel due to the collision off Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro in June, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
Admiral George Ursabia Jr., Coast Guard commandant, bared Thursday that “the stakeholders of M/V Vienna Wood and F/V Liberty 5 will hold a formal settlement for the damages caused by the sea collision” on Aug. 24.
“Kahapon andito po ang may-ari ng F/V Liberty 5, dito sa Coast Guard, para ibalita sa amin, nagkasundo na po sila sa may-ari ng M/V Vienna Wood na magkaroon na sila ng settlement for the damages incurred (The owner of the F/V Liberty 5 was here yesterday to inform us that they have agreed on a settlement for the damages incurred by M/V Vienna Wood),” Ursabia said.
“The Irma Fishing and Trading Inc., the owner of F/V Liberty 5, will receive a settlement amount of P40 million from M/V Vienna Wood to cover the cost of the distressed fishing vessel,” the Coast Guard commandant added.
The families of the missing fishermen, on the other hand, will receive compensation amounting to P1 million each from the Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier.
The Coast Guard will host the settlement of the two parties at the Coast Guard national headquarters in Manila, Ursabia said.
The two parties reached the settlement amid the criminal charges filed against the M/V Vienna Wood and its crewmen for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and damage to property.
A hold departure order was issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 44 in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro to prevent the 20 crewmen of the foreign vessel from leaving the country while facing criminal complaints over its collision with the sunken fishing boat.
The Coast Guard legal team handling the case, however, has yet to issue a statement on the settlement’s possible implication on the pending charges against the crew members of M/V Vienna Wood.
According to Commodore Armand Balilo, Coast Guard spokesman, their lawyers “are still discussing” the latest development and will “answer all questions regarding the issue on Monday” after the settlement.
Not one from the missing fishermen was found despite a series of rescue and retrieval missions.