MANILA — The fisherman, who was reported missing 45 nautical miles southeast of Rizal Reef in the West Philippine Sea, has been successfully rescued by a Filipino fishing vessel and is now safe in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
This was disclosed by Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong in a statement Wednesday.
“On 14 September, a fisherman was reported missing 45 nautical miles southeast of Rizal Reef in the West Philippine Sea. In addition to the Coast Guard vessels deployed to search for the missing fisherman, the Philippine Government reported the incident to the Information Fusion Center (IFC) in Singapore, which in turn sent out a general notice to all vessels in the area,” he added.
The IFC is a regional maritime security center hosted by the Republic of Singapore Navy which aims to facilitate information sharing and collaboration between partner organizations.
“We are happy to note that the said fisherman, Mr. Freddy Apat, has been rescued by a Philippine fishing vessel and is now in Puerto Princessa City,” Andolong said.
The defense spokesperson said the successful rescue of Apat highlights the importance of having mechanisms in place for information sharing and maritime cooperation with other countries especially with the Philippines’ ASEAN neighbors. (Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)
