PHL Consulate General in Manado Repatriates 31 Filipinos via PH Navy Ship Davao Del Sur
13 April 2018 MANADO — The Philippine Consulate General in Manado, Indonesia, in collaboration with the Armed Forces of the Philippines/ Naval Fleet Eastern Mindanao Command (EASTMINCOM), repatriated 31 Filipinos aboard a Philippine Navy ship BRP DAVAO DEL SUR as part of the conduct of its PH-RI Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) Exercises.
The boat sailed off from the Indonesian Navy wharf in Bitung on 13 April 2018 at 08:00 AM and will arrive in Sasa Port Davao City on 21 April 2018.
The repatriation was undertaken in coordination with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights in North Sulawesi, Immigration Offices in Bitung, Tarakan, Balikpapan, and Manado.
Eight (8) among the 31 Filipinos were boat captains apprehended for illegal fishing who served prison sentence, 10 were drifters, while 13 were apprehended for illegal entry/ overstaying.
During said repatriation, Bpk. Dodi Karnida, Head of Immigration Office in North Sulawesi, Ministry of Law and Human Rights headed the 28 Immigration Officers from Bitung, Manado, Ambon, Balikpapan, and Tarakan to facilitate the repatriation process and issued their exit permits.
During the interview with Bpk. Dodi by Radio Republik Indonesia, he said that the repatriation of the 31 detainees from Philippines was successfully conducted. The said detainees entered Indonesia through Talaud, Marore, and Miangas illegally.
He added that Filipinos are welcomed to enter Indonesia provided that they have with them the complete legal documents to avoid illegal entry and overstaying cases. Lastly, he thanked the Consulate General in Manado for its cooperation and collaboration with the Indonesian Immigration Offices making the repatriation possible.
The said repatriation is the third conducted by the Philippine Consulate General in Manado since 2016 aboard a Philippine Navy Ship and with the help of the Philippine Air Force. Thirty-five (35) Filipinos were repatriated on 25 May 2016 via Philippine Air Force C295, a group of 92 Filipinos 28 May 2016 via Philippine Navy Ship BRP Pangasinan, 41 Filipinos aboard BRP RAMON ALCARAZ FF16 on 13 July 2017 and 31 Filipinos aboard BRP Davao Del Sur. These repatriation missions were conducted in with the Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) of AFP Eastern Mindanao Command and the Indonesian Navy 3rd Fleet.
The Consulate General in Manado has recommended the following measures to prevent apprehension of Filipinos in Indonesia, particularly illegal fishing cases:
- Conduct of a massive information, education and communication campaign with Filipino fishing boat owners as target audience concerning the strict implementation by the Indonesian government’s anti-illegal fishing policy;
- Holding fishing boat owners responsible to notify immediately the Consulate General upon receipt of reports of apprehension of their fishing boats and detention of their fishermen-crew members;
- Encourage boat owners to extend financial assistance to immediate families of their fishermen-crew while in detention in Indonesia, and in the case where illegal fishing charges are brought against their boat captains, boat owners should be liable in providing immediate legal and translation services during investigation, prosecution and trial stages;
- Conduct of Inter-agency meeting among Philippine maritime law enforcement agencies, such as MARINA, BFAR, Philippine Coast Guard and LGUs in order to review and implement the Fisheries Code, including delisting of apprehended Philippine-flagged boats guilty of illegal fishing and imposing administrative fines and penalties on boat owners who abandon their fishermen-crew, and
- Closer coordination between the Consulate General in Manado and all maritime law enforcement agencies and other concerned stakeholders, particularly in General Santos City, Davao City and Sarangani Province. Conduct of continuing dialogue between DFA officials i.e. OUMWA, ASPAC, MOAO, OCA, Philippine Embassy Jakarta, PCG Manado, DFA Mindanao, CO General Santos and all Philippine maritime and fisheries stakeholders and local government units.
From January 2018 to present, Post has repatriated a total of 61 distressed Filipino fishermen mostly residents of Davao City and General Santos City. END
For more information, visit www.manadopcg.dfa.gov.ph.
