Navy sends gunboat after Vietnamese vessel spotted off Tubbataha

From InterAksyon (Jun 8): Navy sends gunboat after Vietnamese vessel spotted off Tubbataha

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines -- Naval Forces West in Palawan is deploying a patrol gunboat to Tubbataha Reef National Park following reports a Vietnamese fishing vessel was spotted off the protected site’s North Atoll Friday night.

NFW commander Commodore Rustom Peña said the deployment of the gunboat was in response to a call from Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) chief Angelique Songco early Saturday morning to report the incident.

According to the report, around 9 p.m. Friday, the Tubbataha Park Ranger Station radar spotted an unidentified vessel flying a Philippine flag approximately 3.4 nautical miles east of North Atoll.

On seeing the vessel, which was towing bright lights behind it, a mere half nautical mile from the reef, park rangers decided to approach.

The vessel was described as 60 gross tons and of Vietnamese origin.

When its crew saw the park rangers approaching, the vessel immediately sailed away towards the northeast, refusing to stop despite warning shots until it reached the marine park’s boundary.

Earlier this year, an American minesweeper ran aground on the reef and was removed only after a month. Soon after, a Chinese fishing vessel was apprehended within the marine park.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/63601/navy-sends-gunboat-after-vietnamese-vessel-spotted-off-tubbataha