After releasing 85 Vietnamese fishermen who had been detained in the Philippine province of Palawan for illegal fishing, the provincial court yesterday set free the remaining 37.
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| Vietnamese fishermen are given instructions by Filipino officers at the army barracks where they are staying while waiting for repatriation. |
The news was issued by the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines yesterday morning, after the court announced its order of release to these fishermen.
Two days earlier, after the prosecutors at the court announced they had dropped all charges against these fishermen, the court said it would consider some issues before announcing the release of the remaining 37.
These fishermen are the crew members of the two boats BTh-99668TS and BTh-98079TS operating under the captainship of Tran Hut and Nguyen Thanh Nhan.
The released fishermen have been transferred to an army barracks of the Philippines’ Western Military Command, where the 85 fishermen have been staying while waiting for repatriation.
Earlier on August 26, at the trial of 122 Vietnamese fishermen who had been detained in Palawan since May 30, the court decided to release 85 fishermen while maintaining its prosecution against the remaining 37 for “encroaching upon Philippines’ territorial waters” and “collecting and storing rare and precious seafood” according to the Philippine Penal Code.
Nguyen Vu Tu, Vietnam’s Ambassador to the Philippines, said the Embassy is working with concerned Filipino agencies to have seven boats returned to the 122 fishermen.
He also said the procedures for repatriating the fishermen are underway.
