MORE NEWS, LA UNION

5 Indons in smuggling case freed at Poro Point

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – Five of the seven Indonesian crewmen who were held for almost one year here at the Poro Point seaport for alleged oil smuggling on Jan. 1, 2006 were released Dec. 4 after they were given clearance by the Bureau of Customs district office here and the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation.

Joseph Langie, Indonesian Embassy’s assistant for consular affairs, fetched his countrymen at the port here where MTUG Sungai Julan 1, the vessel used in smuggling, was docked.

The ship, valued at P110 million, has been forfeited in favor of the Philippine government.
Langie, together with Nur Salim, Haidar Ma’mur, Abdul Rakhman, Ahmad Ishak and Kamin, all Indonesians, boarded at past 6 p.m. a bus bound for Manila.

Langie said the ship captain, Muhammad Tahir and Ronald Situmpol, chief engineer, both
Indonesians, were left behind to face a criminal charge filed against them with the Department of Justice, together with two BoC personnel, a maritime policeman, a quarantine officer, the driver of a tanker and its owner.

Aside from Tahir and Situmpol, five other Malaysian crewmen, who were not included in the case, will remain in Poro Point because there was no action taken by the Indonesian Embassy.
"The two (Tahir and Situmpol) will face the case filed by BoC. For the five (Indonesians), they will now be released," Langie said.

Langie said the Indonesian Embassy will be coordinating with the ship owner, a Malaysian, in providing financial assistance for the expenses of the five crewmen who will be going home soon.
Edward Baltazar, BoC district collector here, issued the order releasing the Indon seamen shortly after Langie arrived at his office last Tuesday.

"I already issued their clearance because there is no way we are going to hold them because there is no case filed against them. Only the ship captain and the chief engineer have a pending case at the DoJ," Baltazar said.

Baltazar issued the forfeiture decision against the vessel, including its cargo, 77, 058 liters of crude oil. The decision was affirmed by Finance Secretary Margarito Teves last month. -- JE


Charges readied vs people behind oil spill
BY JERRY PADILLA

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – The city government here headed by Mayor Pablo Ortega is preparing criminal and administrative charges against those involved in the coal spill that destroyed a large portion of the 75-hectare marine protected area in Barangay Lingsat.

The city environment office under Valmar Valdez is now studying the charges to be filed against those erring individuals, particularly the barge owner and crew of the tugboat that towed the barge, Ortega said.

The affected area of the spillage widened as Nava Ratna 3 – the ill-fated Indonesian barge – was left unattended for several days during the height of Typhoon Mina and the storm surge because the Philippine Coast Guard, tasked to retrieve the barge, failed to conduct mitigating measures before and during the occurrence of the bad weather condition.

Ortega said one of the possible charges is the violation of Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fishery Code due to the destruction of coastal habitats, particularly corals and sea grasses.

“We are still researching for other graver offenses and violations to avoid technicalities but it still better for us to settle for rehabilitation plan so we can preserve our fish sanctuary,” Ortega said.