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GENERAL SANTOS CITY: Coast Guard authorities launched a massive
patrol of Indonesian waters after pirates attacked an Australian
cargo vessel Sunday.
PCG Chief Petty Officer Ruperto Liloc said MV
Hillford Express, an Australian cargo vessel, arrived at Makar Wharf
at around 3 p.m. on June 7 and left the port after unloading some
2,264 heads of Australian cattle at around 6:21 a.m. the following
day.
“The vessel was attacked about 70 nautical
miles away from our port of jurisdiction. It happened at mid
Philippine-Indonesian waters and not in General Santos City,”
Liloc told The Manila Times, as he vehemently denied allegations
that the vessel was attacked right at the Sarangani coastlines.
Liloc also denied reports that the ship returned
to General Santos City for repair after it was sprayed with bullets
by a still unidentified group of pirates.
“The vessel is now in Davao City, because the
city’s port is much closer to where the attack happened,” Liloc
said.
Early reports said armed pirates onboard two
motorboats attacked the cargo vessel between General Santos City and
Indonesia.
Maritime authorities said they are still
investigating if the suspected pirates were Indonesian or Filipinos.
Reports said the pirates failed to overrun the
ship after its crew resisted and fired back at the suspects.
On October 2006, eight people were killed in a
clash between fishermen and suspected pirates in Southern Mindanao
waters. Reports said pirates onboard two motorboats and armed with
high-powered assault rifles swept down on the local fishermen early
in the morning wherein four pirates and four of the fishermen, who
were armed with home-made guns, were killed in the clash.
-- Isagani P. Palma
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