MANILA: On Wednesday, October 4, the Philippine Coast Guard reported that three Filipino fishermen had perished after their fishing boat was rammed by an unnamed unusual commercial ship as it crossed the South China Sea.
According to a statement, the incident happened on Monday as the vessel was traveling through waters 157 kilometers west of the contentious Scarborough Shoal.
After the vessel sank, eleven team members were still alive.
According to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Philippines is looking into the event to determine what caused the fatalities.
He posted on social media,” We assure the patients, their families, and all that we will make every effort to hold accountable those who are responsible for this unfortunate sea affair.”
Conflicts in those waters have recently increased after the Philippines claimed it removed a 300-meter-long ball-bump barrier erected by China’s coastguard close to the Scarborough Shoal, renowned for its excellent fish and one of Asia ‘ most contentious maritime functions.
China took control of the proper school in 2012 and has kept a constant presence of navy and angling trawlers there ever since. It is named after the American cargo ship that capsized on the island in the 18th century.
China has rejected the Spanish version of what happened regarding the barrier, while the US has supported Manila and vowed to uphold its convention pledges to support its ally in the event of an attack.
The Asian coast guard withheld information about the incident and the ship it claimed had rammed the crew of the country.