Piracy rampant off Batanes waters

BASCO, Batanes, Philippines – The desire to make quick money has driven a group of fishermen here to commit piracy, targetiing foreign poachers entering the country’s territorial waters.

The local pirates’ latest victims were fishermen on board two Taiwanese vessels who were apprehended on different occasions.

The vessels were intercepted in the vicinity of Mavudis island (known locally as, Ditarem), in Itbayat town on Dec. 11 and April 23, respectively.

A member of the boarding team, whose conscience has been bothering him, told The Star, the first vessel, with five crewmen, was held for two days, while the boat captain negotiated by satellite phone with relatives in Taiwan to raise P700,000 as ransom.

The negotaition was circuitous as the Taiwanese relatives had to contact somebody in Manila to bring the ransom to the island where they were being held.

On the third day, when the emissary arived here, he found out that the fishermen and their vessel had been turned over to local authorities.

But before the turn over, the vessel was stripped of all movable equipment, like television, DVD player, satellite phone, fishing gears, Global Positioning System, (GPS) food supplies and fuel.

Personal belongings of the crewmen were likewise forceably taken from them. These included wrist watches, jewelries, money, and cellular phones. Only their clothes they were wearing were not taken from them.

The same incident happended to the second vessel that was apprehended April 23, also with five crewmen.

The vessel, TFB CT2-3759, had been boarded by the pirates for seven days, while they demanded the payment of P4 million ransom.

With Taiwanese Coast Guard vessels amassing at the distance, the pirates were forced to report the apprehension of the second fishing boat.

No ransom was paid, but similarly the boat and crewmen were stripped of everything of value.

Deputy Police Provincial Directior Cornelio Tadena has twice refused to talk to The Star. He would not even open the police spot report or journal to reporters.

“Wait for the provincial director who is out of the province”, Tadena says,as he turns  his back to this reporter.