The Philippine Coast Guard said the criminal cases filed against the Chinese vessel MV Vienna Wood which collided Filipino fishing boat Liberty 5 in June, have already been dismissed.
“Case was dismissed by the provincial prosecutor. MV Vienna Wood was allowed to leave last September 17,” Balilo said.
In August, the Philippine Coast Guard said the families of the 14 Filipinos who went missing after their fishing boat collided with a Chinese cargo vessel in the waters off Cape Calavites, Occidental Mindoro, would receive P1 million each.
MV Vienna Wood, registered in Hong Kong, a select administrative region of China, collided with FV Liberty 5 on June 28.
“That’s highly acceptable for the realities of the missing persons,” Adm. George Urabia Jr., commandant of the PCG, said in a mix of English and Filipino during a virtual press briefing.
Aside from the compensation, the Chinese cargo ship would provide a settlement amount of P40 million to Irma Fishing and Trading Inc., the owner of FV Liberty 5.
Cases vs. Chinese vessel Vienna Wood dismissed
The Vienna Wood collided with F/V Liberty Cinco at around 1 am on June 28. Fermin Soto, the boat owner Irma Fishing and Trading, said the ship left the badly damaged in the middle of the sea.
Irma Fishing and Trading started to search for the boat after it failed to meet its scheduled radio call to port and did not arrive at Navotas Fish Port when it was expected at 7 am.
The company tasked its other boats to the perimeters of the Liberty Cinco’s last reported location off Cape Calavite in Occidental Mindoro. It was then that other fishermen told the crew of the Liberty Cinco’s sister boats of the collision, Soto said. They also found tubs and other items from the boat marked “Irma” floating on the water.
They found the capsized boat at around 10 pm. However, its 12 fishing crew and two other Irma employees onboard the Liberty Cinco were nowhere to be found.
The government already ended the search and retrieval operations for the victims on July 7.