In a statement, the PCG said it has directed Coast Guard Districts in Eastern Visayas, Bicol, southeastern Mindanao, northeastern Mindanao, and northeastern Luzon to launch search and rescue operations on Sheng Feng 128, which was last seen 414 nautical miles northwest of Palau on February 17.
“At around 7:30 a.m. today, 27 February 2023, the Coast Guard Aviation Force has dispatched Cessna Caravan 2081 to conduct aerial surveillance within the vicinity waters of Eastern Visayas and Bicol regions due to the possibility that the missing Taiwanese fishing vessel drifted towards the country’s eastern seaboard,” the PCG said.
On board the vessel were one Taiwanese and five Indonesian fishermen.
The PCG said it received a request for assistance from Taiwan Coast Guard Attaché, Commander Arthur Yang.
Yang said two US Coast Guard (USCG) aircraft conducted air surveillance but yielded a negative result and one commercial vessel completed a search at the scene with no finding.
Eight Taiwanese fishing vessels also join the operations, while two Taiwan Coast Guard cutters are on the way to search the vicinity waters. (SunStar Philippines)