139 rescued from human smuggling
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT ZONE – A total of 139 victims of human smuggling were rescued Tuesday from a Micronesia-bound vessel owned by a locator here, and docked at Orion Port in Bataan.
In a joint operation by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) of Bataan and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the undocumented Filipino passengers, all skilled workers, were found on board the “M/V Forever Lucky,” a ship owned by Fahrenheit Company, Ltd. (FCL), at 1 a.m. Tuesday.
The ship was boarded by the joint PCG and NBI team while it was preparing to depart the country en route to Micronesia.
Forty-one crewmen were also apprehended after they presented fake documents. Investigation showed that the vessel has no special permit to navigate as per Maritime Industry Authority (Marina)
According to Coast Guard
spokesman Captain Armand Balilo, the 139 undocumented hopefuls were allegedly illegally recruited to work in the cruise ship. Most of them are skilled workers who were promised to get paid as cook, entertainer, singer, housekeeper, caregiver, among others.
Some of them, Balilo said, joined the supposed journey to have a job later.
The rescued locals came from the Visayas, Palawan, Pampanga, Olongapo, and other parts of the country.
First case in Luzon While the PCG has encountered incidents like this in the past in the southern part of the country, this was the first mass human smuggling case in Luzon, Balilo bared.
“We have encountered many cases like this in Southern Philippines, in General Santos, in Zamboanga, in Tawi-tawi, but this is the first time we encountered such incident in Luzon. It’s just two hours away from Manila and we were alarmed,” Balilo said in Filipino.
The operation, Balilo added, stemmed from an information received by the National Coast Watch Center (NCWC) of the Office of the President from its foreign counterpart that a domestic passenger vessel in Bataan is allegedly involved in human smuggling and other illegal activities.
Conspiracy, bigger operation feared
“When we verified it to the intelligence, the operation was launch last (Monday) night, and we confirmed that the illegal activity as well as the fictitious documents of the ship,” Balilo said in Filipino.
Investigation further showed that the company produced falsified and fictitious special permit to navigate. There was also no Certificate of Public Convenience or franchise to legalize its operation, no manifest for the 139 passengers on board, and other documents required for its operation.
“The investigation focuses on the owner and the personnel of Farenheit Company. They are being questioned by the Coast Guard and the NBI to ferret out the truth,” Balilo added.
Authorities fear that this might be the “first among bigger illegal operations,” so a thorough investigation to look into possible connivance with private sectors and government officials is being launched.
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Wilma T. Eisma condemned the involvement of any Subic-registered company in any unlawful activity, and will unconditionally support the investigation to ferret out the truth about the instant case.