Customs seizes Chinese vessel for lack of permits

February 1 ------ The Bureau of Customs (BOC) issued a warrant of seizure and detention against the MV Zhonhai 68, a Chinese vessel that was found illegally docked at the Manila Bay two years after dredging operations in Zambales. The vessel was reported to have conducted dredging operations in Masinloc, Zambales in 2019, and moved to Aparri, but illegally transferred to Manila Bay even without the necessary permits from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

"So walang application, walang mga permit at other required documents for 'yung sa entry niya pati dun sa conversion niya kaya walang mga papers. 'Yun ang chine-check namin ngayon at 'yun din ang dahilan kung bakit nag-issue ng warrant of seizure and detention yung Bureau of Customs," PCG spokesperson Armand Balilo said in a report on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend." The same report noted that Former Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares urged the PCG to also look into the location Zhonhai 88, which was photographed along with the Zhonhai 68 at the Bajo de Masinloc in February 2019. No additional details were reported.

Just last week, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin Jr. said the Philippines filed a diplomatic protest against China over its law that authorizes its coast guard to shoot foreign vessels in areas it claims in the disputed South China Sea. "After reflection I fired a diplomatic protest. While enacting law is a sovereign prerogative, this one—given the area involved or for that matter the open South China Sea—is a verbal threat of war to any country that defies the law; which, if unchallenged, is submission to it," he said in a post on his official Twitter account.

For their part, Philippine officials have downplayed the current situation in the highly-contested waters, as local fishermen recently reported they were ordered by Chinese vessels to leave the area. "Kagagaling lang ng isa nating eroplano ng Philippine Air Force na nag-patrolya doon para ma-verify kung nandoon pa ba 'yung mga barko, nandoon pa rin naman sila. 'Yung mga mangingisda ay nakakapangisda pa rin naman. Natatakot lang siguro talaga sila dahil nandoon sa area ng sandbars, nandoon 'yung Chinese Coast Guard," said AFP Western Command Commander Rear Admiral Ramil Enriquez.

"Hindi ko alam kung dapat matakot sapagkat kami sa China Coast Guard, meron kaming pag-uusap na 'yung mga areas ng puwede payagan na mangisda ay 'wag namang galawin 'yung mga Pilipino," added PCG's Balilo. The PCG and the BOC in September 2020 joined hands in enhancing operations on border control, anti-smuggling, and other customs fraud. Taiwan last week was also reported to have expelled some 4,000 Chinese vessels illegally dredging sand from its waters in 2020, reflecting a more than six-fold increase from the year before.

Source: gmanetwork.com