SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Zambales, Philipines — The Vietnamese embassy in Manila on Tuesday said it was fast-tracking its assistance to Vietnamese fishermen who had been stranded in Subic Bay for almost a week due to bad weather. SBMA officials said three of the vessels remained anchored in Subic Bay on Tuesday. In a memorandum sent to the Coast Guard on Nov. 7, Jerome Martinez, the SBMA seaport department manager, said the Vietnamese fishermen would be fined for overstaying. ADVERTISEMENTBut on Tuesday, Ramon Agregado, the SBMA senior deputy administrator, said the agency had already recommended to its board of directors that the stranded fishermen be exempted from port charges. He said the seaport department’s memorandum “was simply a procedural reminder and a statement of policy, considering that the vessels entered Subic Bay without authorization.”The SBMA said the Vietnamese fishing vessels entered Subic Bay without a clearance from port authorities.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer November 12, 2019 20:20 UTC