This may be a case of from the kettle into the fire as the Chinese Embassy in Manila disclosed that the Chinese crewmen of a distressed vessel who were rescued off Eastern Samar last January 27 were fugitives from justice.
In a letter sent to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) dated March 7 and shared with CNN Philippines on Saturday, the Chinese embassy warned that the crew of KAI DA 899 have been “engaged in crime and wanted by China’s police authority.”
The embassy also requested assistance from Philippines authorities in deporting the Chinese seafarers.
“In order to bring the above mentioned suspects to justice in China, may I humbly request your good office to implement legal procedure against them and transfer the jurisdiction to Bureau of Immigration (BI) at your earliest convenience, so that we can deport the suspects out of the Philippines,” the embassy’s letter read.
No further details about their cases were provided as of publishing.
The seven crew members were rescued by the PCG in the vicinity of Suluan Island in Guiuan town on Jan. 27. Their vessel—which had a damaged hull — was then towed to Tacloban Port.
The PCG earlier raised doubts about the crewmen’s statements regarding their identities and vessel as they failed to present the necessary supporting documents.
The agency said it was coordinating with the BI and the Department of Justice regarding the matter.