MANILA, Philippines — There was no hijacking incident on a cargo vessel off Zamboanga Peninsula on July 16, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) clarified yesterday.
In a statement, the PCG said its southwestern Mindanao district received a report on Tuesday about an alleged “seajacking” of the cargo ship Jeselli, which carried 2.5 metric tons of yellow corn and 17 officers and crew.
The PCG said the owner of the Philippine-flagged vessel reported the alleged incident to the Coast Guard after failing to contact one of the ship’s crew.
The chief officer of the vessel also claimed that the ship had been robbed.
The PCG’s BRP Capones yesterday established contact with Jeselli and confirmed with the ship’s captain that there was no hijacking.
The cargo ship left Bataan and dropped anchor in Cebu to load fresh water before proceeding to General Santos City, the PCG said.
A Coast Guard team conducted a safety inspection of the cargo vessel.