The 13 rescued crew members of Filipino fishing vessel FB JOT-18, which collided with cargo vessel MV Happy Hiro on May 28. Courtesy of PCG.
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has filed charges against the officers of foreign cargo ship MV Happy Hiro which collided with a Filipino fishing vessel that has still seven members of its crew missing.
In an online briefing on Wednesday, PCG Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu said charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, multiple injuries, and damage to properties were filed Tuesday in Antique against the officers of MV Happy Hiro, which is sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands.
Now facing charges before the Antique Prosecutor’s Office are the cargo ship’s master, a Croatian identified as Meshay Amie; the ship’s second mate George Antonie Bogdan, a Romanian; and two Filipino officers identified as Tyrone Albina Maquiling and Mckinley Panuncialman Amante.
“May mga ibang ebidensya naman eh. Unang una nawawala sila, hindi natin sila makita, so subject to a court litigation na yan, dun na natin pag-usapan po yan, nasa proseso yan,” Abu said when asked why homicide charges are being filed despite the crew not being declared dead.
(There is other evidence. First of all they are missing, we can’t find them, so that’s subject to a court litigation, let’s talk about it there. It is in the process.)
Despite the homicide charges, Abu clarified that the seven Filipino crew members of the fishing vessel are still declared as missing and not dead.
Abu added that the PCG has also changed the term of operations from search and rescue to search and retrieval operations.
“Hindi naman po tayo naga-assume, never tayo nag-assume na yung mga biktima ng incidente ay namatay na,” Abu said about the change in classification of operations.
(We are not assuming, we never assume that the victims of the incident are already dead.)
The cargo ship, meanwhile, is still in the area of responsibility of the PCG Station in the waters of Antique.
The MV Happy Hiro and the Filipino fishing vessel FB JOT-18 collided in waters off Maracanao Island, Agutaya, Palawan over the weekend.
The PCG said 13 Filipino crew were also rescued.
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