Family of ‘Ro-ro rammed’ Fisherman won’t File Charges but Expects Help

 

The family of a fisherman who died early Tuesday morning when his fishing banca was “rammed” by a roll-on roll-off vessel off Escalante City will not file charges.

Enrique Caspe Jr., the father of 29-year-old Je-Ar who got killed when a ro-ro vessel hit the latter’s boat while fishing off Barangay Washington in Escalante at around 4 in the morning of September 8, said they have no money to go to court.

“We have no plan to file charges because we have no money. We just need to be assisted… we need help regarding what happened to my son. We will not file charges but we need help,” Caspe told newsmen yesterday at the wake of Je-Ar, referring to the shipping company that owns the vessel.

Caspe revealed to newsmen what happened when “a red ro-ro vessel” hit his son’s fishing banca. He said he was also fishing using a seperate banca from a distance.

It took him about an hour after the incident before he found his son who was already lifeless in the wrecked boat, he said.

He thanked the Coast Guard for the quick help after the incident, adding that he is also thankful that the Coast Guard is also helping them identify what vessel it was and to which shipping company it belongs.

SUPPORT

Yesterday, Capt. Eduardo P. De Luna Jr., Commander of the Coast Guard District Southern Visayas (Negros and Siquijor) based in Bacolod City, and Commander Jansen Y. Benjamin, Station Commander of Coast Guard Station Negros Occidental also based in Bacolod, sent another batch of support to the family of Caspe, especially to the wife and three children of Je-Ar.

Chief Petty Officer Joel A. Taganile, Commander of Coast Guard Sub-Station Escalante, and his deputy Petty Officer 3 Emmanuel D. Pascual and other personnel, in behalf of De Luna and Benjamin, went to the Caspes to update them of the ongoing investigation and to deliver the food items courtesy of the personnel of the Coast Guard.
Days before, they also gave cash and other assistance to the bereaved family.

Taganile said an investigation team from PCG in Manila will be arriving to look further into the incident.