The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) deployed a team to Singapore to investigate a tanker vessel tagged in a deadly ramming incident near Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) last Oct. 2.
Rear Adm. Armando Balilo, PCG spokesperson, said the investigating team were accompanied by officials from the Philippine Embassy in Singapore to work with the Port State Control (PSC) Authority in possibly inspecting tanker vessel MT Pacific Anna.
"We are hoping that the Singaporean PSC Authority would exercise their over-riding priority to conduct inspection on MT Pacific Anna even though said vessel is not yet due for inspection," Balilo said.
"The inspection should be targeted in the vessel's compliance with the regulations of SOLAS Chapter V (safety of navigation) [as] the result of their inspection could be used in our investigation," he added.
SOLAS refers to International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, an international treaty concerning the safety of merchant ships.
The PCG earlier revealed that MT Pacific Anna, a Marshall Islands-flagged crude oil tanker vessel, was monitored to have passed by Filipino fishing boat (FFB) Dearyn on Oct. 2 at approximately 85 nautical miles northwest off Bajo de Masinloc or 180 nautical miles from Agno, Pangasinan.
It was the same date and time that FFB Dearyn was rammed by a commercial vessel that caused it to capsize and killed three fishermen, the PCG said.
MT Pacific Anna departed from a port in Incheon, South Korea and arrived in Singapore on Oct. 5.
"We have also requested Marshall Island Flag State to conduct their investigation on the reported collision incident involving MT Pacific Anna. We expect with this formal request the Flag State of Marshall Island will conduct safety investigation in compliance with the IMO’s [International Maritime Organization] Casualty Investigation Code Chapter 6 that the state of ship involved in a very serious maritime casualty is responsible for ensuring that a marine safety investigation be conducted and completed," Balilo said.
"We can use the result of their investigation in pursuit for claims and damages for the boat owner, victims and survivors of FB Dearyn," he noted.
Meanwhile, the PCG's Task Force Kaligtasan sa Karagatan directed the Coast Guard Aviation Force (CGAF) to conduct aerial surveillance where FFB Dearyn capsized for possible towing operations.
Balilo said that Harbor Star Shipping, a provider of tug assistance services for ship salvage and wreck removal, will conduct the salvage and towing operations to secure FFB Dearyn to its homeport in Subic, Zambales.
"A 44-meter Coast Guard multi-role response vessel (MRRV) will secure the vicinity waters and monitor the entire operations," Balilo said.