Philippines impounds North Korea vessel, to deport crew

MANILA, Philippines - Responding to the UN Security Council resolution imposing stricter sanctions against North Korea, the Philippines yesterday seized one of its cargo ships that docked in Subic Bay on Thursday.

The Philippine government said it would impound the North Korean vessel M/V Jin Teng in response to tough new UN sanctions.

The 6,830-ton cargo ship will not be allowed to leave Subic, where it had been docked for three days, and its crew will be deported.

“The world is concerned over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and as a member of the UN, the Philippines has to do its part to enforce the sanctions,” Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III said.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2270 imposing new sanctions and tightened some of its existing measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) due to its nuclear weapons program that “threaten international peace and security.”

“The resolution, which imposes the toughest sanctions so far on DPRK, reflects the resolute stand of the international community against DPRK’s provocative nuclear tests and rocket launches which pose clear threats to international peace and stability,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.

The DFA said the Philippines joins the international community in strongly urging the DPRK to comply with UNSCR 2270 and relevant resolutions and undertake concrete steps towards denuclearization. 

The resolution, which dramatically expands existing sanctions, follows North Korea’s latest nuclear test on Jan. 6 and a Feb. 7 rocket launch that Washington and its allies said used banned ballistic missile technology. Pyongyang said it was a peaceful satellite launch.

The resolution said North Korea was in violation of and in flagrant disregard of the UN Security Council’s prior resolutions banning nuclear weapons programs.

The new resolution expands sanctions against North Korea by imposing a ban on all exports including coal, iron, iron ore, gold, titanium ore, vanadium ore and rare earth metals, and banning the supply of all types of aviation fuel, including rocket fuel.

Regarding financial sanctions, the resolution broadens their scope by imposing an asset freeze on all funds and other economic resources owned or controlled by the North Korean government or by its Worker’s Party of Korea, if found to be associated with its nuclear or ballistic missile program or any other prohibited activities.

The new resolution also requires member states to inspect all cargo to and from North Korea, not just those suspected of containing prohibited items, as was previously the case.

It also bans leasing or chartering of vessels or airplanes and providing crew services to the country, and registering vessels, while calling on UN member states to de-register any North Korean-owned or controlled vessels.

Member states are mandated to ban any flights and deny entry into their ports of any vessel suspected of carrying prohibited items.

In response to the UN’s move, Pyongyang fired six short-range missiles into the sea on Thursday, while North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered its nuclear arsenal put on standby for pre-emptive use at anytime.

On Friday, the European Union also tightened sanctions against North Korea by adding 16 individuals and 12 entities to a list of some 60 individuals and groups who were hit with travel bans and asset freezes.

The Jin Teng

Quezon said the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York relayed the latest UN sanction to United Nations and other International Organizations (UNIO) Assistant Secretary Gary Domingo, who in turn informed Malacañang that the North Korean vessel should not be allowed to leave the port in Subic.

“So what happened was the UNIO office of the DFA coordinated with the Philippine Coast Guard,” Quezon said.

He added a team from the UN might also come to inspect the ship in Subic while the Philippine government will report to the UN its actions after holding the ship.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose added the DFA has yet to receive any official report if the vessel is involved in transporting illegal cargo.

“We have to get official report first and study it before making recommendations,” Jose said.

“We also need to send a report to the United Nations on Philippine actions taken,” he added.

Jose said the DFA is coordinating its efforts with other Philippine government agencies including the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Department of Justice.

PCG commandant Rear Adm. William Melad said they would hold the North Korean cargo vessel and its crew until a formal communication has been made.

The Bureau of Immigration said it has restricted the shore passes of the 21 crewmembers of the ship.

The Jin Teng was inspected in Subic Bay, a former US-run naval base, after it arrived Thursday from Balembang, Indonesia, loaded with palm kernel expeller – a byproduct of palm oil production and other agricultural products.

The Jin Teng is among 31 vessels that could be forced to stop trading after being included in an asset freeze against a North Korean shipping company under the tightened sanctions passed unanimously by the UN Security Council on Wednesday.

The Jin Teng was inspected for the second time yesterday, this time using electronic weapons sensors, PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said.

He added the 21 crewmen were “very cooperative.” –Pia Lee-Brago, Bebot Sison, Evelyn Macairan