The
Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday filed a case for violation of the
Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 before the Puerto
Princesa City ,
Palawan Regional Trial Court (RTC) against nine of the 11 Chinese poachers
arrested off Hasa-Hasa Shoal (Half Moon Shoal) in disputed waters of the West Philippine Sea .
Palawan
Provincial Prosecutor Allen Roz Rodriguez said that the case against the two
Chinese poachers were dismissed because they are minors.
"We
turned them (two minors) over to the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) and
DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) for their
repatriation," Rodriguez said.
The
nine Chinese poachers are facing a case for violation of Section 87, or
"poaching in Philippine waters", and Section 97, or "fishing or taking
of rare, threatened or endangered species", of the Philippine Fisheries
Code of 1998.
Rodriguez
said that they gave the nine poachers a public lawyer to represent them but the
accused refused insisting that they did nothing wrong because they are fishing
in Chinese waters.
He
said that he tried to convince a Chinese consul who assisted the nine poachers
to be represented by the public lawyer but the official also refused.
"Still,
the public lawyer stayed while we are conducting the inquest proceedings,"
Rodriguez said.
The
DOJ recommended a bail of Php 30,000 each of the nine accused for violation of
Section 87 and Php 40,000 each for Section 97 of the Philippine Fisheries Code
of 1998.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=642834
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