Navy seizes 3 Chinese boats

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Philippine Navy intercepted three Chinese fishing boats last Saturday and held 45 Chinese crewmen for questioning after they were caught in Philippine waters near Basilan.

Rear Adm. Emilio Marayag, Naval Forces Western Mindanao combined commander, said the Chinese-registered fishing boats were intercepted while steaming through the channel between Basilan and Sta. Cruz Island off Zamboanga City Saturday afternoon.

"Our alerted naval unit spotted and immediately intercepted them because they were not in international waters," he said.

Marayag said the three fishing boats were escorted to the nearby Navy pier in Lower Calarian in Zamboanga City.

The Bureau of Fishery, Bureau of Immigration and the Regional Committee on Illegal Entrants are investigating the crewmen, he added.

Under initial interrogation, the Chinese claimed that they were fishing in Indonesia and were on their way back to China when their fishing boats ran out of fuel and they had to pass by the southern part of Philippines to fill up their tanks.

However, Marayag said the Navy suspects that the Chinese were buying fish in Indonesia.

Only two of the three fishing boats were loaded with a few fish, he added. —Roel Pareño