VIGILANT crew and alerted troops of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) have thwarted a seajacking attempt of a bulk carrier in the Sulu Sea, military officials said Tuesday, March 9, 2021.
Lieutenant General Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the bulk carrier, M/V Akig Peal, was harassed by three armed men aboard a speed boat while the vessel was on its course last week from Bongao to the Sibutu passage in the province of Tawi-Tawi.
But due to the vigilance of her crew and the prompt response of NFWM troops, the gunmen aborted their attempt to seajack the vessel.
"Our Littoral Monitoring Station (LMS) in Bongao received the call and immediately coordinated with us. I then directed Boat Attack 489 (BA489) to depart from her post in Lamion to proceed to the said location to deter the possible seajacking," said Rear Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr., NFWM commander.
Adaci said the bulk carrier was escorted to her destination to ensure the safety of the crew and the vessel
"The naval and aerial assets are deployed to continuously monitor and secure transiting vessels and likewise lookout and pursue the perpetrators of the foiled seajacking," Vinluan said. (SunStar Zamboanga)