Rappler's latest stories on boats
Duterte officials finally aid Gem-Ver fishermen vs Chinese ship owner
12 months and 13 days after Filipino fishermen were left floating at sea, Philippine officials say they will reach out to the owners and crew of fishing boat Gem-Ver to help them claim damages for the sinking of their vessel
10 missing after fishing boat capsizes off Indonesia
The motorboat sank on Thursday, June 18, after being hit by strong waves in the Sunda strait. Six of the fishermen return to the sinking boat and are rescued the day after as a search continues for the missing.
'Total disarray': Carpio slams Duterte gov’t West Philippine Sea strategy
'The Filipino people do not deserve this,' says retired Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio
A year later, Gem-Ver fishermen still unpaid by Chinese ship owner
'Kung aasa naman kami sa ayuda, kailan pa po?' asks Gem-Ver owner Fe dela Torre
Why installing tracking devices on commercial fishing boats is a big help for LGUs
With some commercial fishing boats taking advantage of the coronavirus as a diversion from policing, making tracking devices on fishing vessels mandatory should help police municipal waters better
1 Chinese tourist dead in Boracay boat mishap
The 26 others on the island hopping boat, mostly Chinese tourists, were rescued and in good condition, says the Philippine Coast Guard
What help? Chinese company, gov't officials botch aid to Gem-Ver fishermen
Rappler traces the origin of F/B Pengyou from Batangas to Occidental Mindoro. The tattered boat is the latest in the government's bungled assistance efforts for the fishermen of Gem-Ver.
7 bodies found on suspected North Korean boat in Japan
In 2019 alone, at least 156 suspected North Korean fishing vessels washed up on Japan's coast
The second sinking of Gem-Ver
Part 1: Rappler returns to San Jose 5 months later, in November, as the crewmen finish their repairs and prepare to sail back to Recto Bank. While Gem-Ver has been patched up, its men have drifted apart.
PH dragonboat team paddles to SEA Games double bronze
Thailand and Indonesia lord it over as the Philippines twice settle for 3rd in the traditional boat race
PH boat Gem-Ver returns to West Philippine Sea
Still reeling from the tragedy, the fishermen return to Recto Bank as it is the only way they can make a living
IN THEIR OWN WORDS: The new fishermen of Gem-Ver
Ten new crew members of fishing boat Gem-Ver prepare to sail again to Recto Bank
[EDITORIAL] Ilang beses bang inabandona ang mangingisda ng Gem-Ver? Paulit-ulit
The Gem-Ver fishermen were abandoned many times, once at sea, but over and over in politics and government positions taken
China firm gifted Gem-Ver fishermen a used boat that's now in ruin
Gem-Ver’s fishermen says they expected a new boat from China. They receive a battered, second-hand vessel ripped apart by a typhoon just weeks later
PH boat sunk by Chinese sailing again to Recto Bank
(UPDATED) After 5 months of waiting, the fishermen of Gem-Ver say they are ready to return to the site where they almost died in June
Boracay rehabilitation body to reassess public emergency services
The move comes after 7 members of the Boracay Dragon Boat Team perished in an accident while training
DENR suspends all dragon boat races in Boracay
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu suspends all dragon boat race activities in Boracay in the wake of a deadly accident that claimed the lives of 7 members of a local dragon boat group
PCG reminds groups to observe safety measures at sea after Boracay incident
The Philippine Coast Guard gives the reminder after the initial investigation showed that the dragon boat team members had no life vests when they trained in Boracay waters
7 dead as dragon boat capsizes off Boracay
(4th UPDATE) The 14 other members of the Boracay Dragon Boat Team were rescued and brought to the hospital, says the Philippine Coast Guard
Indian rescuers search for 39 missing after boat accident
Almost 300 personnel using boats and a helicopter are engaged in the search operation, including the Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force
8 dead, 26 missing as dive boat sinks in flames off California
(UPDATED) Fire crews in helicopters, small boats and a Coast Guard cutter battle the fierce pre-dawn fire on the 75-foot Conception, which had been on a diving excursion around Santa Cruz Island
4 injured after RO-RO capsizes off Camotes Island in Cebu
A 10-wheeler truck slips while disembarking, causing the vessel to fall on its starboard side
Senators want Chinese ship owner to pay damages to Gem-Ver fishermen
Senator Francis Pangilinan welcomes the apology, but does not think it should be taken as a matter of fact. The apology calls Reed Bank part of the Nansha Island Group.
Recto Bank incident on 'cusp of closure,' says PH envoy to China
Ambassador Jose Santiago Sta Romana says while the apology is a 'breakthrough,' compensation for the aggrieved 22 fishermen of Gem-Ver is still subject to more discussions and negotiations
Gem-Ver owner, fishermen unsatisfied with China ship owner's apology
'Paano na 'yung danyos perwisyo nila sa aming mga mangingisda? At lalong-lalo na po sa may-ari ng bangka?' says Bannie Condeza, one of Gem-Ver's fishermen
Philippines accepts apology of Chinese ship owner
The Philippines welcomes the acknowledgment that compensation must be provided to the owner of Filipino fishing boat Gem-Ver
Carpio corrects China ship owner's apology: Recto Bank not part of Spratlys
Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio says Recto Bank is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, 'beyond the territorial sea of any island in the Spratlys'
China ship owner apologizes for PH boat sinking
(3rd UPDATE) The apology is coursed through the Guangdong Fishery Mutual Insurance Association and comes the same day President Duterte is set to leave for China where he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping
LOOK: 49 people rescued from sunken boat in Samar
The Philippine Coast Guard says the motor boat was on its way to Tagapul-an town in Samar when it was battered by strong winds and big waves, causing it to capsize
PODCAST: Gem-Ver: The men, the crash, the journey home
It's been 2 months since a Chinese trawler rammed a Filipino fishing boat in the West Philippine Sea. In this podcast, Rappler revisits that harrowing night, and more.
At least 7 dead after 2 boats capsize off Iloilo
The Philippine Coast Guard says over 20 people have been rescued, so far, and search operations continue for the missing passengers and crew members
Robredo donates more cash, GPS equipment to Gem-Ver fishermen
Vice President Leni Robredo again visits the Gem-Ver fishermen in Occidental Mindoro to provide additional aid through her office's Angat Buhay program
Coast Guard gets new high-speed boats, trucks to boost capabilities
Other new assets include rubber boats and fully equipped ambulances useful in disaster response and rescue operations
Newsbreak Chats: After Duterte's SONA and Gem-Ver, what now?
On Thursday, July 25, the Newsbreak team sits down to discuss the issues surrounding the lives of the Gem-Ver fishermen and what's ahead after the 2019 SONA
Aurora Pijuan auctions Miss International crown for Gem-Ver fishermen
The gold and pearl-encrusted crown is being sold at an online auction by the Leòn Gallery
Philippines loses to China 3 years after Hague ruling
'The present administration has done absolutely nothing to enforce the award,' says Justice Antonio Carpio. Did the Philippine efforts go to waste?
Despite Duterte, Gem-Ver fishermen buckle down to work
The fishermen come home but government disowns their narrative about what happened at Recto Bank and gives away bare boats. They prepare to sail again in dangerous waters.
WATCH: Gem-Ver fishermen eager to sail again
On the shores of Occidental Mindoro, the fishermen of Gem-Ver try to rebuild their damaged boat so they could set out to sail once again
IN THEIR OWN WORDS: The fishermen of Gem-Ver
On the shores of home in Barangay San Roque, Occidental Mindoro, the men of Gem-Ver tell their stories
THE SINKING OF GEM-VER: Barko! May babanggang barko!
From out of the blue, a metal vessel smashes a Filipino fishing boat anchored at Reed Bank, the impact sounding like a hundred bones breaking. This must be death, say the fishermen.
FALSE: Maritime law expert 'lied' about satellite image of Recto Bank
In his screenshot, maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal also uses a layer from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suit which captures satellite images on Earth in real time
PH to sue Chinese ship crew in local courts if China fails to penalize them
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo says the Philippines can file a case on 'reckless imprudence resulting to serious damage of property' against the captain and crew of the Chinese ship that hit F/B Gem-Ver
No need for China permit to fish, says PH lawyer in Hague case
'It is up to the Philippines' whether to allow Chinese fishermen to fish in the West Philippine Sea, says world-renowned lawyer Paul Reichler
Final PCG-Marina report: Chinese ship failed to prevent sea collision
The Chinese ship abandoned the Filipino crew of F/B Gem-Ver despite 'direct knowledge of their distress situation,' in violation of two maritime conventions, according to the official findings of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Maritime Industry Authority
Initial Coast Guard report: Chinese ship captain liable for maritime law violations
The initial report also attests to how the Chinese ship abandoned the Gem-Ver crew
Justice Carpio: Deal with China to fish in Reed Bank 'lopsided' against PH
Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio calls on the government to reject President Rodrigo Duterte's so-called verbal deal with Xi Jinping to let China fish in the Reed Bank
Not right for Palace to pit two constitutional provisions vs each other – law expert
The charter's order for the government to keep resources in the Philippines' EEZ for exclusive use of Filipinos is not in conflict with the provision requiring the government to 'serve and protect' Filipinos, says law professor Tony La Viña
[EXPLAINER] The gospel according to Tito Sotto: Teach a man to fish, and his haul could be Chinese
Senate President Tito Sotto – the man in the #Sinotto memes – comments on the 'exclusivity' of fish in the Recto Bank. Are his statements valid?
Recto Bank incident 'clear violation' of int'l law – PH lead counsel
Paul Reichler, the Philippines' lead counsel against China, tells Rappler there is 'a very strong case' to hold China liable for the Recto Bank incident
Duterte-Xi fishing deal 'cannot be enforced' – Locsin
'It's not policy,' says Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr after Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the verbal agreement is legally binding
