Hontiveros alarmed over 13 Chinese found in dredging ship off Bataan
MANILA, Philippines — “What were they doing there? Who permitted their entry?”
Opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros couldn’t help but sound the alarm over the reported presence of 13 undocumented Chinese nationals found on a dredging vessel in Mariveles, Bataan.
In a privilege speech delivered during the Senate’s Monday plenary session, Hontiveros said the incident transpired on November 26 at around 2 p.m. at MV Harvest 89.
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“Laking gulat at pagtataka ng Philippine Coast Guard na sa isang routine pre-departure inspection para ma-secure ang Masters Declaration of Safe Departure, the crew members attempted to deny them entry,” said Hontiveros.
“Okay naman na daw ang kanilang documentation. Smelling a rat, our coast guards boarded the vessel where they discovered nine undocumented Chinese crew members, and when they searched deeper, they found four more, bringing the total to 13,” she detailed.
Article continues after this advertisementA shocking discovery aboard the vessel, said Hontiveros, was the sighting of a People’s Liberation Army uniform which was also found in illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator hubs.
Article continues after this advertisementWhile a dredging operation conducted by Chinese vessels in Philippine waters is already an alarming news, the opposition lawmaker said what’s more shocking was that the company that authorizes such activity is a state run firm.
“The company behind this is the state-run China Harbour Engineer Company o CHEC blacklisted by the United States in 2020 for its role in the red militarization of the South China Sea, and blacklisted even farther back by the World Trade Organization for its corrupt practices,” said Hontiveros.
With this, Hontiveros demanded that the government address such alarming incidents.
“What were they doing there? Who permitted their entry? Were they acting as laborers, or, as some fear, engaging in activities of an intelligence-gathering nature?” said Hontiveros.
“When foreign nationals operate covertly in our territory, it compromises not only our security apparatus but also the trust of our citizens in government’s ability to protect them,” she emphasized.
She then proposed that President Bongbong Marcos’ administration commit to do the following:
- Immediate Investigation: Task the Department of Justice through the Bureau of Immigration to probe the undocumented individuals found aboard these vessels.
- Environmental Audit: Direct the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to conduct an exhaustive assessment of the environmental damage caused by these dredging operations and hold responsible parties accountable.
- Policy Review: Mandate a review of all existing agreements that permit foreign entities to engage in resource extraction or related activities within our waters, ensuring that these agreements align not just with ecological preservation but also national security.
- Strengthened Oversight: Equip our maritime forces and intelligence agencies with the tools, technology, and resources needed to monitor and safeguard our maritime territories effectively.
