TOWED. Personnel of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) rendered medical assistance to the passengers of the ML Rihana that drifted to Malaysia after its engine malfunctioned while sailing to Turtle Islands municipality, from Bongao town, Tawi-Tawi province, on Feb. 24, 2023. The BRP-Florencio Inigo of the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi towed the vessel from the anchorage area of Tanjung Labian, Malaysia, to the Lamion wharf in Bongao on Sunday morning (Feb. 26). (Photo courtesy of the NFWM) ZAMBOANGA CITY - The Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) has assisted in towing a Philippine-registered vessel with 24 people aboard that drifted to Malaysia, a top Navy official said on Tuesday. Rear Adm. Donn Anthony Miraflor, NFWM commander, said wooden-hulled vessel ML Rihana was towed back to Philippine territory around 1:50 a.m. on Sunday coming from the anchorage area in Tanjung Labian, Malaysia. The vessel had seven crew members and 17 passengers. Miraflor said the Maritime Situational Aw
RESCUED AT SEA. Personnel of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) rescued 28 people from a wooden-hulled vessel in distress in the waters of Favorite Bank, Basilan province Monday evening (Feb. 6, 2023). The vessel was sailing to the town of Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi coming from Zamboanga City when its engine malfunctioned. (Photo courtesy of NFWM) ZAMBOANGA CITY - Personnel of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) rescued 28 people from a wooden-hulled vessel in distress off Basilan province, a top military official said Tuesday. Rear Adm. Donn Anthony Miraflor, NFWM commander, said the 28 people, comprising 11 crewmen and 17 passengers, were rescued Monday evening in the waters of Favorite Bank, Basilan province. Miraflor said the wooden-hulled vessel, M/L Sulna, was sailing to the town of Turtle Islands, Tawi-Tawi, coming from Zamboanga City when its engine malfunctioned. He said they immediately deployed the Boat Attack 487 (BA487) upon receiving a distress call from the v
INTERCEPTED. Navy personnel escort a motorboat loaded with some P6.6 million worth of smuggled cigarettes to the Romulo Espaldon Naval Station that houses the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) headquarters in Zamboanga City. The shipment was seized Sunday (July 31, 2022) off Sulu province when the NFWM troops together with Bureau of Customs personnel launched a seaborne patrol after being tipped off of the contraband. (Photo courtesy of NFWM) ZAMBOANGA CITY - Personnel of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) have apprehended a motorboat with five-man crew and loaded with PHP6.6 worth of smuggled cigarettes off Sulu province, a top NFWM official said Monday. Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr., NFWM commander, said the shipment of smuggled cigarettes was seized around 3:45 a.m. Sunday, some two nautical miles east off Balod Island, Sulu. Adaci said the NFWM and Bureau of Customs (BOC) operatives launched maritime patrol following information about the shipment
RELIEF AID. The Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NWFM), through its subordinate units and the Naval Forces Reserve-Western Mindanao, ships some 50 tons of relief aid for the victims of Typhoon Odette in the Caraga Region. The relief mission coming from two points Cotabato City and Zamboanga City arrived in Caraga on Sunday (Jan. 30, 2022). (Photo courtesy of NFWM) ZAMBOANGA CITY - The Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), through its subordinate units and reservists of Naval Forces Reserve-Western Mindanao (NFR-WM), has shipped some 50 tons of relief aid to Typhoon Odette victims in the Caraga Region. Rear Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr., NFWM commander, said in a statement Monday that the relief aid was shipped to Siargao, Surigao del Norte, and the province of Dinagat Islands. Caraga was among the hardest-hit areas when "Odette" made its first landfall in Siargao Island in the afternoon of Dec. 16, 2021. Adaci said the relief mission was composed of two groups - one coming from thi
SMUGGLED CIGARETTES. Personnel of the Bureau of Customs and Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) conduct a joint inventory of the smuggled cigarettes at the Naval Station Romulo Espaldon in Zamboanga City. Operatives of the NFWM seized the smuggled cigarettes worth PHP9.7 million while on maritime patrol Saturday (Jan. 22, 2022) off Sulade Island in Parang municipality, Sulu. (Photo courtesy of NFWM) ZAMBOANGA CITY - Operatives of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) have seized some PHP9.7 million worth of smuggled cigarettes off Sulade Island in Parang, Sulu province, a top NFWM official disclosed Monday. In a statement, Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr., NFWM commander, said the smuggled cigarettes were intercepted and seized Saturday some 8.4 nautical miles northwest of Sulade Island of Parang municipality. Adaci said navy men aboard Multi-Purpose Attack Craft (BA489) were conducting maritime patrol while en route to Tawi-Tawi when they chanced upon the two "jungkong-type"