KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/01 June)—Twenty-five Filipino fishermen jailed in Indonesia for illegal fishing arrived in the port of Glan, Sarangani province Saturday morning.
Petty Officer 3 Eleno Bañas, officer-on-duty of the Philippine Coast Guard General Santos City station, said the repatriated fishermen were turned over by the Philippine Navy to the Bureau of Immigration upon their arrival at around 8:30 a.m. apparently for documentation processing.
“The repatriated fishermen arrived in Glan aboard Philippine Navy vessel marked PG-371,” he told MindaNews over the phone.
The fishermen were jailed in Bitung, North Sulawesi.
On Friday, the Philippine Information Agency Region 12 (PIA-12) reported that personnel of the regional Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have been put on standby to receive the repatriated fishermen.
PIA-12 reported that three of the fishermen have been jailed in Lembaga Penitentiary in Bitung City since 2011.
They were identified as Rodolfo M.
Tamar, Arvin P. Maratas and Juanito D. Capuyan, all from General Santos City.
Based on a list released by DSWD-12, the group also include Leoper Agravador, Joy Sepher Condes, Maykil Iba, Melchor Macascas, Marcan Amador, Randy Talaba, Ronnie Cagumpay, Efren dela Cruz, Ariel Cabi, Rogelio Roxas, Jovelyn Inguig, Jay-Ar Pala, Saldy Calipus, Xyriel Macal, Vicmar Tolete, Ali Usop, Bobby Maquiso and Arnel Bayron, who are residents of Maitum, and Christopher Asentista of Maasim town in Sarangani province, the report said.
Two are from Davao del Sur namely Herman Lubalan of Sta. Maria town and Cresencio Dumatmat of Jose Abad Santos town.
Another fisherman, identified as Ronilo Ogao-Ogao, is reportedly from Pagadian City, it added.
PIA-12 cited Norhata Benito, disaster risk reduction and management focal person of DSWD-12, as saying that social workers will conduct stress debriefing for the repatriates, “except for the three fishermen from GenSan as the local government would take care of their debriefing.” (Bong S. Sarmiento/MindaNews)
