Sino ship in Cebu seas to be seized

CEBU, Philippines - A Chinese-flagged bulk carrier that entered Philippine waters allegedly without authority is expected to be issued a warrant of seizure and detention by the Bureau of Customs next week.

Representative of three Philippine government agencies boarded the 19,998 gross ton MV Ming Yuan the other day. Immigration agents confiscated the passports and seaman's books of its 24 crew members, all of whom are Chinese.

The Hong Kong-registered vessel has been stranded near Malapascua Island since May 19.

Yesterday, a Philippine Coast Guard vessel escorted the MV Ming Yuan to an anchorage area off Hagnaya.

Bureau of Customs Port of Cebu District collector Edward Dela Cuesta said yesterday that he is still waiting for the official report of his team who went to the area the other day.

"Inaantay ko pa iyong formal report galing sa mga tao ko na kahapon ko pinapunta. Nakikita ko na may violation, mayroong probable cause, baka issue-han ko ng warrant of seizure and detention ang nasabing barko," Dela Cuesta said.

"Iho-hold ko 'yung barko. Pinaboardingan naming kahapon and it was found out na may probable cause pero ipa-re-re-confirm natin para hindi tayo magmumukhang tanga, kaya hinihintay ko pa ang formal report ng mga tao ko," he added.

Dela Cuesta confirmed that there was no cargo in the vessel based on the partial reports he received from his team.

However, before he flies to Manila today, Dela Cuesta will already prepare the warrant of seizure and detention against the vessel.

PCG-Cebu commander Weniel Azcuna said that as early as first week of June, they learned about the said foreign cargo vessel from reports from the fishermen and local officials in Malapascua.

"As early as first week of June, we received a report already about a foreign cargo vessel. We gathered all the information. Reports came from fishermen and local executives," Azcuna said.

When they conducted the inspection last June 16, they were able to talk to the captain of the ship. He said before the vessel made a stop in Malapascua, it came from Taipei, Taiwan, and its next port is supposedly in Isabel, Leyte.

Azcuna said that according to the captain their cargo in Leyte was not yet ready and they opted to stay in Malapascua.

"The problem is that they failed to inform us of their presence. Maong gi-board nato sila," Azcuna said.

The boarding team comprising the Bureau of Custom, Bureau of Immigration and Bureau of Quarantine, made another inspection the other day and was accompanied by the Philippine Coast Guard as well.

"The vessel failed to submit notice of arrival to the authorities," said Azcuna. "Right now, we advised the vessel to transfer to the anchorage area in Hagnaya," he added.

Azcuna said that the owner of the vessel will also need to settle penalties with the Bureau of Immigration and the Bureau of Customs for not notifying the agencies of their presence.

However, Azcuna clarified that the Philippine Coast Guard deals more on the safety of the ship and declared that the vessel has no violation with the PCG.

"We deal more on the safety of the ship. It's a newly-built ship, so when we conducted the inspection, there was no violation detainable to the coast guard," said Azcuna.

Meanwhile, in a separate inspection by the local executives, Logon Barangay Captain Rex Novabos, Association of Barangay Captains president, said he has sent a Bantay Dagat Team as well as policemen to the area to check on the activities of the stranded vessel.

Novabos let them check if the ship had a hose used to suck sand since some residents told him that the said vessel might be there for sand.

"This is mostly the activity of most stranded ships in our island, which is to get white sand and transport it to another beach. But due to language barrier, we were not able to talk to the crew," Novabos said.

Novabos said that the team reported that there was no hose and they did not get any sand at all, the crew were painting the flooring of their vessel when they went there.

Authorities took custody yesterday of 24 Chinese crewmen after their cargo ship was seized while anchored near a marine sanctuary in Cebu for the past 33 days without allegedly informing the government of their arrival in the country.

Commodore William Melad, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Central Visayas district commander, said the M/V Ming Yuan, has allegedly been staying in the country since May 19.

Melad admitted that it took some time before the Chinese crew cooperated with authorities because it did not immediately allow the PCG personnel, accompanied by officers from the BI, BOC and the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), to board their ship yesterday morning.

“They would not allow us to board. Normally, they would lower the accommodation ladder. But we insisted, so finally they allowed us to board the ship. We properly identified ourselves on radio that we are from the Philippine Coast Guard and we have the BOC and BI with us. May be there was just a miscommunication at the beginning of the discussion,” Melad added.

It took them about two hours to convince the foreigners to allow them to enter the vessel and another two hours of ship inspection before they were told to transfer to another site where they would be better monitored by the PCG.

He explained that the Ming Yuan was a commercial vessel and normally when they enter our country they should have a notice of arrival to the corresponding agencies such as the BOC, BI and the PPA. The problem is there was no notice of arrival and they have been here since May 19. They were just there in the area between Malapascua Island and Carnasa Island.

The ship was anchored in the area, which is a famous beach area and dive spot that were located near a marine sanctuary.

Melad admitted that this was the second time that they boarded the ship. Last week, they entered the ship’s premises but it was port state control purposes wherein they only checked on the seaworthiness of the vessel. They passed the inspection.

But at past 4 a.m. yesterday, the officers from the four different government agencies approached the vessel that was reportedly anchored some 5.3 nautical miles off Malapascua Island, once more.

“So (at 6 a.m.), we found out that they had no notice of arrival so definitely there is a violation here. The Bureau of Immigration confiscated their passports and seaman’s book because they did not ask permission to enter (the country),” the PCG official said.

The Chinese nationals are not allowed to leave their ship.

He also believed that the ship should not be staying near Malapascua so the PCG escorted them to another anchorage area for foreign vessels specified by the PPA, which is located in the northern part of Cebu where there is a PCG detachment that could guard the Chinese ship.

The PCG also learned that the Chinese shipplans to go to Leyte where the vessel owner was reportedly looking for clients and cargo to transport.

When they checked the ship, it appeared that they have not yet found any client since the cargo hold was empty.

He also wondered why the vessel was anchored in Cebu, which was in Region 7, when their intended client was in Region 8.

The latest seizure of the Chinese ship came at a time when the Philippines and China were embroiled in a territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea. – BRP (FREEMAN)