Chinese crew charged in Philippines
Print Edition
THE Philippines yesterday charged nine Chinese fishermen with poaching more than 500 sea turtles in waters off China’s Half Moon Shoal in the South China Sea despite demands from the Chinese government that they be freed.
Prosecutor Allen Ross Rodriguez said two other arrested Chinese were minors and would be sent home.
The nine have been charged with “violating” two provisions of the Philippine fisheries code, including illegally harvesting 555 endangered turtles, before a special environmental court in western Palawan Province.
The men, who were arrested last week when Filipino police seized their vessel that was allegedly laden with the giant turtles, could face up to 20 years in prison and be hit with large fines if convicted, the prosecutor added.
Poaching, meanwhile, is punishable by fines of up to US$200,000.
“It is clear — there was a fishing vessel, Chinese fishermen, a catch of sea turtles,” Rodriguez said.
The court is expected to summon the Chinese fishermen to enter a plea within 10 days, he added, with bail set at 70,000 pesos (US$1,570) each.
They can post bail but cannot leave the Philippines because of “immigration law violations” after failing to show travel documents.
China has pressed the Philippine government to free the fishermen and the boat, saying they were apprehended in Chinese territorial waters.
Beijing warned Manila not to take any more provocative actions so as to avoid further damage to bilateral relations.
China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular media briefing in Beijing yesterday: “We have already expressed China’s position and demands to the Philippines many times.
“We hope the two sides can properly handle this issue as quickly as possible.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila reiterated that the Chinese were arrested within the Philippines’ “exclusive economic zone.”
Five Filipino fishermen were also caught separately near Half Moon Shoal with about 70 turtles in their boat.
Criminal complaints have also been filed against them for illegally catching the turtles, but they sought the services of Filipino lawyers and were not immediately indicted.
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