Chinese ship’s crew fined P1.2 M

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday ordered the 24 crew members of a Chinese vessel that illegally entered Philippine territory last May 19 to pay a fine amounting to P1.2 million.

BI Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. said the bureau is asking each crew member of M/V Yuan to pay P52,510.

David said the Chinese did not alert the bureau when they entered Philippine waters. They also failed to present seafarer’s visa, he said.

The ship was discovered off Malapascua Island in northern Cebu.

“Immigration laws require seamen of foreign ships bound for the Philippines to secure the necessary seafarer’s visa from their port of origin,” said Theodore Pascual, acting chief of the BI’s bay service section.

The Hong Kong-registered ship was fined an additional P6,000 for entering the Philippines without prior notice of its arrival.

It was earlier reported that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) cleared the Chinese vessel of any violations. But it still could not leave the country because it has issues to settle with the BI, Bureau of Customs (BOC), and the Cebu Ports Authority (CPA).

“Since the foreign ship has passed the vessel safety inspection conducted by the PCG’s Port State Control, we have no hold over the ship. However, it has problems with the BI, BOC and the CPA,” PCG Central Visayas district commander William Melad said.

Earlier, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources reportedly received information the Chinese ship was allegedly getting sand and pebbles from Malapascua Island.

The BOC had issued a warrant of seizure and detention against the vessel for not declaring information such as its place of origin, destination, cargo, and identity of the skipper.