The Philippines is set to hold talks with China starting June 2 on the compensation sought by the owner and crew members of the destroyed fishing vessel Gem-Vir 1, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said on Monday, May 24.
Guevarra said the government has already formed a team which will be holding the talks with its counterpart in the Chinese government.
The Philippine team will be led by the DOJ with representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Agriculture (DA), and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) as members, he said.
Gem-Vir 1 sunk on June 9, 2019 after being rammed by a Chinese fishing vessel in Reed Bank, also known as the Recto Bank, in the West Philippine Sea.
The Chinese fishing vessel fled and left the crew of Gem-Vir 1 stranded until they got rescued and returned to Philippine shores.
The owner and crew members of the Filipino fishing vessel have been seeking over P12-million in compensation over the incident.
Guevarra said the meetings set June 2 and June 7 were agreed upon during the sixth consultative meeting between the Philippines and China held last Friday, May 21.
“As far as the Filipino fishermen are concerned, it is important that they recover fully their expenses for the boat repair and the income they lost while the boat was under repair,” he said.