MARINA slaps fines on Chinese vessels operating in Manila Bay

MARINA slaps fines on Chinese vessels operating in Manila Bay
Darwin G. Amojelar February 20, 2023 https://manilastandard.net/business/transport-tourism/314307103/marina-s...

The Maritime Industry Authority said Monday said it penalized Chinese vessels that were allegedly engaged in “suspicious” activities in Manila Bay.

MARINA NCR regional director Marc Anthony Pascua told reporters in a text message that the agency issued show cause orders, and “they [Chinese vessels] were accordingly penalized.”

Pascua said the vessels had settled the penalties.

“The MARINA would also like to reiterate that our decisions are without prejudice from them to re-file or operate again, provided that they will settle their penalties, and that they have valid permits to operate,” he said.

The National Coast Watch Center, an inter-agency maritime surveillance and coordinated response facility, earlier asked MARINA to investigate several foreign vessels that were allegedly engaged on “suspicious activities” and were observed to be operating outside their approved areas of operation as against the special permit issued by the maritime authority.

The NCWC, led by the Philippine Coast Guard, earlier reported that the Chinese vessels were operating without a dredging clearance from the Department of Public Works and Highways and no environmental compliance certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

NCWC also said the Chinese dredgers had no memorandum of agreement with the DENR and no accreditation from the MGB.

“The NCWC also asserted that the Chinese dredgers allegedly failed to secure a ‘No Objection Clearance’ from the Office of the National Security Adviser,” MARINA said.

Another issue flagged by the NCWC was that the Chinese dredgers had been operating with false Automatic Identification System which allows the authorities to properly monitor and record their exact movements inside Philippine territorial waters, and that they turned off their AIS during operation and while berthed.

The NCWC Special Report was endorsed by Malacanang through Deputy Executive Secretary for general administration Naealla Bainto Aguinaldo on Nov. 29, 2022 for appropriate action to MARINA.

NCWC is an inter-agency maritime surveillance and coordinated response center led by the Philippine Coast Guard and is attached to the Office of the President through the Office of the Executive Secretary. It is the operating arm of the National Coast Watch System.

The National Coast Watch System is in turn run by the National Coast Watch Council which is its brain and nerve center that acts as the central body that provides strategic direction and promulgates policy guidelines.

It is chaired by the Executive Secretary and is composed of government agencies including the Department of Transportation, the DENR, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of Justice, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Finance and the Department of Interior and Local Government.