The Philippine Coast Guard is set to salvage the fishing vessel that sank in the waters of Pangasinan province to be used as evidence against the foreign oil tanker that allegedly rammed it, killing three fishermen last week.

The Coast Guard said Monday that it had located the wreckage of the FB Dearyn, a sky-blue and white fishing boat, some 180 nautical miles off Agno, Pangasinan.

The boat is reportedly in bad condition and will need to be lifted onto a salvor ship to prevent further damage, said Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo. The Coast Guard has tapped the Harbor Star for the job.

The salvor is expected to leave Navotas City on Monday evening and take around two days to reach the location of the fishing boat. It will take another two to three days to reach shore, Balilo said.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard said it has sent letters to authorities in the Marshall Islands, where the foreign crude oil vessel MT Pacific Anna is registered, and to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, where the vessel was sailing to from Incheon, South Korea, requesting their cooperation in the investigation.

The two port authorities have already noted the facts of the Coast Guard's independent investigation but have yet to reply with more information, said Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela in a radio interview on Monday.

The Coast Guard said the Pacific Anna was sailing at a high rate of speed in a restricted area at the time of the collision.