The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has admitted that fishing vessels or pleasure yachts may have been used by fugitives to escape to other countries.
During a Senate hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Public Services and Justice and Human Rights, Senator Raffy Tulfo inquired whether medium-sized or smaller fishing vessels could be used to flee the country.
Captain Oliver Tanseco, commander of the Coast Guard Investigation and Detection Management Service, confirmed that typical tuna fishing vessels or pleasure yachts could indeed be utilized for such purposes.
Tanseco cited the case of Alice Guo, who reportedly used a pleasure yacht to escape the country.
In response, Tanseco explained that the PCG has expanded its security measures across the country’s ports and waters. He emphasized that not only conventional ports, where personnel from the Coast Guard, Bureau of Quarantine, and Bureau of Immigration are stationed, are being monitored but also beach resorts, where smaller boats could be used to sneak out of the country—similar to the testimony of Sheila Guo.