FILE PHOTO: Junel Insigne, captain of the FB Gem-Ver, checks out the damage on his craft, which was rammed and sunk by a Chinese vessel in the West Philippine Sea in June 2019. Abandoned in the icy waters, Insigne and his 21-man crew floated for three hours until a Vietnamese ship came to their rescue. INQUIRER/RICHARD A. REYES
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino fishermen onboard the Gem-Ver boat that was rammed by a Chinese fishing vessel near Recto Bank in 2019 has received their compensation amounting to P6 million.
“Full compensation has already been made in favor of the vessel owner and the fishermen,” Justice Undersecretary Adrian Sugay told reporters Wednesday.
Sugay said the payment was received last May 16.
Gem-ver was rammed by the Chinese vessel Yuemaobinyu 42212 around midnight of June 9, 2019. The 22 crew members were abandoned at sea for at least two hours before they were rescued by a passing Vietnamese fishing boat.
It was two years after the incident that negotiations between Philippine officials and representatives from China’s Bureau of Fisheries commenced.
RELATED STORIES
DFA gets DOJ report on P12-million compensation for Gem-Ver crew
DOJ: Gem-Ver fishermen seeking P12 million compensation