Working Conditions Aboard the Donghae-Star

On February 22, 2017, a critical security operation by the Naval Forces Western Mindanao thwarted an attempt by the Abu Sayyaf Group to attack a bulk carrier in the treacherous waters off Tawi-Tawi. The incident unfolded around 10 a.m. when the 'Dong Hae Star', en route from China to Indonesia and navigating through the Sulu Sea, issued a distress call to the Littoral Monitoring Station (LMS) in Bongao. The crew reported they were being pursued by suspicious speedboats carrying armed individuals near Pearl Bank in Tawi-Tawi. Promptly responding to the call, additional patrol boats were dispatched to the area, effectively intimidating the attackers, who subsequently fled in an unknown direction. The LMS Bongao maintained vigilant oversight of the 'Dong Hae Star' as it continued its transit, while Navy vessels under the auspices of Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi sustained patrol operations in the vicinity to ensure ongoing maritime safety.