11 Pinoy fishermen repatriated from Indonesia

DAVAO CITY – At least 11 Filipino fishermen, three of whom have just recovered from dengue fever, were repatriated this week from Indonesia after they were caught illegally fishing in the territorial waters within the East Indonesian border.

Eight of the Filipino fishermen were sent home last Dec. 13 on board KM Mudah Hasil from the port city of Bitung in North Sulawesi to General Santos City, according to Army Maj. Rod Sosmeña, spokesman for the Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command.

Sosmeña said the three other fishermen, Ruel Tidoy, Rico Formentera and Robert Intawon, arrived here last Monday onboard Air Sriwijaya from Manado City after they recovered from dengue while in detention in Bitung.

The 11 fishermen were repatriated after they underwent the necessary processing imposed by Indonesian authorities following their arrest, which included detention in a prison facility in Bitung.

The continued apprehension of Filipino fishermen who enter Indonesian waters has been the concern of Philippine and Indonesian officials involved in the joint border patrol committee.

This developed as local government officials in the border areas are taking a more active role in helping not only secure the border waters between Indonesia and the Philippines but also to look into the plight of Filipino fishermen who sail to Indonesian waters for tuna.

“Actually, the local executives have taken a lead role in border cooperation with Indonesia. This is no longer just about the military, but the concerns are more civilian in nature,” Eastmincom chief Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna told The STAR.

Luna, who headed the Philippine delegation to the recent 26th RP-RI Border Committee Chairmen’s Conference held in General Santos City, said that local government officials could also help in monitoring the movement and trips taken by Filipino fishermen to Indonesian waters, since most of them are actually residents of the coastal areas in the southernmost tip of Mindanao.

Their Indonesian counterparts, on the other hand, led by Maj. Gen. Djoko Utomo, also included in their proposed agenda that representatives of the local governments in the border areas be invited as observers in the border committee between the two countries.

The local government officials of the East Indonesian islands of Marori, Miangas, Tahuna and Sangihe Talaud have been in constant contact with their counterparts in the localities within the southernmost tip of Mindanao.

Luna pointed out that aside from the Philippine and Indonesian naval and air forces that participate in the joint patrol operations in the border waters, representatives of customs, immigration and quarantine of the two countries are among the members of the border committee.

Luna cited the active role played by local government executives like General Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon and Sarangani Gov. Miguel Dominguez along with North Sulawesi Gov. Sarundajang and the mayors of the respective coastal towns in southern Mindanao in enhancing border cooperation.

“This is now a situation wherein the military plays more of a support role to the civilian authorities in further improving the border cooperation,” Luna added.

The Indonesians likewise proposed the use of radio communications equipment in the exchange of information between Philippine and Indonesian border crossing stations.

The Indonesians also strongly urged the strengthening of border cooperation between the two countries by focusing on its area of cooperation and the use of existing mechanisms.

An annual steering committee meeting shall also be held to pave the way for subsequent meetings by both the chairmen and vice chairmen of their respective border committees.

The Filipino officials likewise proposed that representatives of the Bureau of Immigration, maritime authorities and the Department of Foreign Affairs should be allowed to join in the selected joint border patrol operations of the two countries.

The Filipino representatives pushed for the inclusion as observer to the joint border committee the chairman of the Jose Abad Santos, Glan and Sarangani Cooperation Triangle (JAGS-CT).

Philippine authorities also suggested the use of regular passports as an alternative to border crossing cards in all border-crossing stations of both countries.

Luna said that by increasing the involvement of the local government officials in the border cooperation, it would be easier for both the military and the police to track down al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists reported to cross borders to carry out their missions.

The National Security Council (NSC) earlier said there are about 26,000 boat trips in the border waters between East Indonesia and Mindanao, mostly for commercial and trading purposes.