Taiwanese boat intercepted off Batanes linked to past ‘offenses’ in PHL —CNA report

A Taiwanese boat intercepted off Batanes last week may have links to past maritime offenses in the Philippines, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported.

The CNA said the "Sheng Feng No. 12" used to be the Philippine-registered "Teresia No. 16," which was fined $200,000 for poaching but never paid the penalty.

Citing the Philippine investigators' findings, the CNA said the "Teresia No. 16" underwent a name change then reentered Philippine waters illegally.

It quoted Philippine officials as saying investigators found a registration booklet aboard the "Sheng Feng No. 12" indicating its past as the "Teresia No. 16."

Last week, the "Sheng Feng No. 12" was intercepted some 6.5 nautical miles from Yami island in the Batanes area. Philippine inspectors boarded the vessel to check for possible poaching of fish.

Six fishermen aboard the vessel were briefly detained and were released on bail. However, the CNA report said the vessel remained in Philippine custody.

Also, the CNA report said the vessel in question had registered its fishing grounds as the Indian Ocean and thus had no reason to pass through Batanes.

The vessel's captain, Hung Tien-ting, has claimed the vessel was having an "innocent passage" through Philippine waters, but Philippines authorities are still probing the incident. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News