Eight crew members of a fishing boat were apprehended off Barangay Makagawayan in Tingloy, Batangas, on Saturday for alleged oil pilferage.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) deployed personnel after receiving reports of a vessel drifting near the shoreline from engine trouble while allegedly engaged in an “unauthorized transfer of petroleum products.”
“During inspection, a crew member disclosed that the vessel and its petroleum products were undocumented, prompting further investigation into a suspected unauthorized transfer of fuel at sea,” the PCG said.
Inspectors found 5,000 liters of diesel on board, 1,000 liters for the boat’s own use and 4,000 liters intended as cargo.
“The eight individuals remain under the PCG custody pending appropriate inquest proceedings and the determination and filing of applicable charges,” the PCG said.
The suspects face potential criminal charges, including violations of Republic Act No. 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act). The PCG’s Legal Unit and Investigation and Detection Unit are currently conducting a case build-up “to establish the source, ownership, intended disposition and legality of the petroleum products.”
The operation was carried out under the PCG’s Intensified Community Assistance, Awareness, Response, and Enforcement (iCARE) Program, an initiative aimed at preventing the “unauthorized transport, transfer and sale of petroleum products within Philippine waters,” the PCG said.