Mayor Kwan seeks PCG investigation

GUIUAN, E. SAMAR, Philippines  — Four fishermen complained to authorities that they were harassed by an alleged foreign fishing boat while fishing near Suluan Island in this town early morning of Friday.This prompted Mayor Annaliza Gonzales Kwan of Guiuan to react by saying she will ask the Philippine Coast Guard detachment in her town to investigate the incident.

Fishermen Norberto Pano, 48; Anton Sagun, 51; Ansemo Selva, 50; and Roger Selva, 48 were fishing east of Suluan Island when a fishing boat approached them.

“We saw through our binoculars that the boat had Chinese characters imprints. We suspected it was a foreign boat so we immediately left,” Pano told The Freeman in the local dialect.

Pano added the boat continued to move towards them and suspected it was chasing them. “We had to leave because there were no other fishing boats around of which we could seek for help in case the foreign boat attacks us,” he added.

Kwan said she had been receiving reports from local fishermen about foreign vessels fishing on the seawaters near Suluan and Homonhon islands in Eastern Samar.

“Foreign fishing boats are not allowed to enter our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the eastern part of the country,” Kwan said.

The mayor said the area within EEZ must be secured and local fishermen should be protected from getting harassed by foreign fishermen.

It was believed that some Taiwanese fishing vessels encroach into Philippine waters near the vast Pacific Ocean.

The local Coast Guard station meanwhile could not immediately confirm the reported harassment of fishermen.