SBMA moves North Korean vessel

 The North Korean vessel M/V Jin Teng arrived in Subic Bay on March 3 and barred by the government from leaving the Philippine shores.  ALLAN MACATUNO

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—The North Korean cargo ship impounded by the Philippine government has been moved to another area inside this free port to allow other ships to dock at the Naval Supply Depot (NSD) here.

On Wednesday, the maritime police of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) escorted the MV Jin Teng as its crew maneuvered it toward Sattler Pier, about 250 meters away from its previous location, said Lt. Cdr. Jonathan Marfil, station commander of Coast Guard Subic station.

Marfil said SBMA officials cited “business or commercial reasons” for transferring the vessel to a nearby port area.

“The NSD area is a busy port and there are other cargo ships that are scheduled to arrive there,” Marfil told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.

Marfil said the ship’s transfer was not a move to prepare the vessel from leaving the Philippine shores.

MV Jin Teng was barred from leaving Subic Bay since it arrived here on Feb. 28, obstructing the docking area of incoming cargo ships that unloaded their cargo or stop for repair.

Marfil said his office had yet to receive new directives from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) headquarters in Manila or the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The PCG impounded the ship on Saturday on orders from the DFA to enforce a new round of UN sanctions against North Korea in response to its Jan. 6 nuclear test and the recent missile launches.

The ship was loaded with a cargo of palm kernel expeller, a by-product of palm oil production which is an ingredient for farm animal feed.