The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday, July 18, 2024, said no hijacking incident involving a Philippine-flagged cargo vessel took place in the waters off Zamboanga Peninsula.

In a statement, the PCG said the Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao (CGDSWM) received a report on July 16 regarding an alleged “seajacking” involving ship loaded with more than 2,500 metric tons of yellow corn.

The vessel came from Bataan and was bound for General Santos City. It had 17 crew members on board.

The PCG said the vessel’s company reported the incident as they could not reach any of the crew members on board.

There was also a report that a wooden hull boat carted away some of the items in the cargo.

However, PCG confirmed that no hijacking and robbery happened when authorities established contact eventually with the ship upon its arrival in General Santos City.

The boarding team of the PCG then conducted safety inspection and checked the documents for the cargo.