The Philippine Coast Guard in Central Visayas intercepts a motor banca with the owner and two passengers from Leyte province off the waters of San Francisco town in Camotes islands on March 20, 2020. | Photo courtesy of PCG-7
CEBU CITY, Philippines — “Don’t try to enter Cebu by sea or your boat will be impounded, you will be penalized and you will be sent back to where you came from.”
Lieutenant Junior Grade Eric Salcedo, Philippine Coast Guard in Central Visayas (PCG-7) spokesperson, gave this warning after they apprehended a pumpboat or motor banca that defied the entry ban in Cebu.
The entry ban was imposed after Governor Gwendolyn Garcia issued an Executive Order closing Cebu’s borders from any passenger sea vessels starting March 18 as a preventive measure against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
This is the second time that the entry ban has been violated, the first one was on March 19, 2020, where two Chinese nationals rented a pumpboat and got off on Ginatilan where they were apprehended and quarantined.
Read more: 2 Chinese nationals arrested after trying to enter Cebu amid entry ban
On Friday, March 20, 2020, two passengers from Baybay City, Leyte Province, were caught trying to sneak into Camotes Islands at 4:50 p.m. that day.
Salcedo said that PCG-7 intercepted the pumpboat or motor banca off the waters of San Francisco town in Camotes Islands.
The two men and the boat owner were promptly sent back to Leyte by the Philippine Coast Guard while the motor banca was impounded.
Aside from impounding the motor banca, the owner was also fined./dbs