MANADO, Indonesia – World boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao had reportedly sought the release of Filipino fishermen currently detained in North Sulawesi for alleged poaching in Indonesian territorial waters.
Mayor Victor James Yap Sr. of Glan, Sarangani, said he relayed Pacquiao’s verbal request to North Sulawesi Gov. Siryo Harry Sarundajang.
Yap was part of the Philippine delegation to the 30th Vice Chairmen’s Conference of the Philippine-Indonesia Joint Border Committee that ended here today.
The mayor met Gov. Sarundajang during the party held last Wednesday night at the governor’s palace for the Philippine delegation.
“Pacquiao made the request and I conveyed it to the governor of North Sulawesi,” Yap explained, adding that the request was only verbal since the Sarangani congressman has not yet sent a formal letter to North Sulawesi officials.
Pacquiao reportedly sought the release of the detained Filipino fishermen from Sarangani in the “spirit of Christmas” so they could be home for the holidays.
Most of the Filipinos that have been arrested here for illegal fishing in Indonesian territory are residents of Sarangani, South Cotabato, and General Santos City.
There were conflicting reports on the number of Filipino fishermen that are now detained in North Sulawesi.
Philippine Consul General Noel Servigon, who is based here in Manado, told The STAR that the consulate is now conducting an inventory of Filipino detainees in the port city of Bitung and the island of Tahuna.
“We are collating our reports first and checking on how many really are still detained,” Servigon said, adding that at least two fishermen are now scheduled for repatriation after they were convicted and have already served their sentences for illegally fishing in Indonesian territorial waters.
Servigon stressed that it usually takes a long time before the detained fishermen are repatriated because of the verification process as the consulate has to verify if the detainees are Filipino citizens.
“That is why we are asking the operators of these fishing boats to make sure that when they send out their men, they must have with them some sort of an identification document so we will know if they are really Filipinos,” Servigon said.
Servigon also disclosed that there are boat operators that do not assist the fishermen who are arrested in Indonesia.
“There are new players and we want to unmask them because they have not been responsible enough to take care of their fishermen who are left on their own when they are arrested here,” Servigon said.
Mayor Yap had proposed to Gov. Sarundajang to open a sea route connecting Glan, Tahuna and Manado for passengers and cargo.