Commercial fishing companies have expressed alarm over recent pirate attacks against vessels operating in the Moro Gulf and Sulu Sea in Western Mindanao. According to Eugene C. Yap, vice-president of Southern Philippines Deep Sea Fishing Association (Sophil), the alarming security situation in pirate attacks has increased sharply and harassments, some of which remain unreported to authorities.
It is done after a recent incident where pirates attacked a fishing vessel owned by Sophil member Century Fishing Corp. off Basilan province. The armed group strafed the boat, killed three of the crew and kidnapped two others. Yap told that they are asking the authorities to double their effort in securing these areas. He added that the pirates are extorting money, fuel and even fishes.
Maritime police operatives, said officials, were dispatched immediately to run after pirates operating off Basilan. Superintendent Danilo A. Bacas, information officer of the autonomous Muslim region’s police office, said they have deployed troops to pursue the armed men believed hiding in nearby small islands.
Yap informed that they have been conducting dialogues with local officials of the region to check the growing number of pirates preying on commercial vessels. He also said some of their members have augmented security in fishing boats with the onset of the fishing season.
