Fil-Chinese Business Group Offers Aid For 22 Pinoy Fishermen
FIL-CHINESE – A group of Fil-Chinese businessmen vowed to help the Pinoy fishermen who are rammed by Chinese vessel on June 9.
The Filipino fishing boat was hit by a Chinese ship on the Reed Bank (Recto Bank) in the West Philippine Sea on Sunday.
Pinoys claimed that they were “intentionally” hit by the Chinese fishermen. After the collision, they turned their signal lights off sailed away. Fortunately, Vietnamese fishermen came and rescued them.
On June 14, the Philippine Navy brought the 22 Filipino fishermen to their families in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.
The captain of Gem-Vir1, Jonnel Insigne, told the media that he is certain that the vessel that hit their boat was owned by Chinese.
“Nakita po namin na binangga po kami Chinese talaga yun…”
“We were fortunate the sea was calm. We had to swim, others had tube lifesavers. It’s sad; the Chinese are also fishermen. It’s discouraging but we have to go back to work,” he added.
Based on a report from Inquirer, the largest group Fil-Chinese businesses vowed to fix the Pinoy fishing boat.
The President of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc., (FFCCCII), Henry Lim Bon Liong, said their group would finance the “immediate rehabilitation” of the vessel so that the 22 Filipino could “resume their livelihood.”
According to the report, Henry Lim Bon Liong clarified that they were just concern to the Filipino fishermen.
“There is no admission of guilt of any party here… Our only concern here is the source of income of the fishermen,” he said.
Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana asked the Fil-Chinese group for the assistance they could provide. The group eventually agreed to fund the rehabilitation of the boat.
Based on the report, the president of the Fil-Chinese group said he will be donating rice to the fishermen in the meantime.
“They are not going to go hungry… we will get this fixed at the soonest possible time,” said Liong.
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