Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 20) — A number of foreign vessels were penalized due to what authorities called “suspicious” activities in Philippine waters, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) said Monday.
Marc Pascua, Marina Metro Manila director, said the regulatory agency slapped the ships with penalties.
Marina has yet to detail the supposed penalties and the number of vessels involved.
Pascua said the vessels already “settled their penalties.”
“Our decisions are without prejudiced from them to re-file or operate again, provided that they will settle their penalties, and that they have valid permits to operate,” the official said in a statement.
The investigation was triggered by the report of the National Coast Watch Center (NCWC), an inter-agency maritime surveillance and coordinated response facility, which flagged 10 foreign vessels, most of them Chinese that were “allegedly engaged on suspicious activities and were observed to be operating outside their approved areas of operation as against the issued special permit by the Marina.”
The vessels were operating in the Manila Bay area and were responsible for dredging and reclamation activities at the Pasay Reclamation Development Project without necessary documents to launch the activities.
Marina said that the NCWC found that the vessels had no dredging clearance, environmental compliance certificate, ore transport permit, memorandum of understanding, accreditation, notice to proceed, and “no objection” clearance from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The vessels were a denied special permit and false automatic identification system information.
Six of the vessels also sailed and operated outside their approved areas of operation, particularly in Nasugbu, Batangas and Ambil Island in Occidental Mindoro.
