A PHILIPPINE court yesterday found 12 Chinese fishermen guilty of illegal fishing in Philippine waters, sending them to jail for six to 12 years, the first convictions since tension between the neighbors flared over rival claims in the South China Sea.

    Philippine rangers caught the fishermen after their boat ran aground on Tubbataha Reef off the western Philippine province of Palawan in April 2013.

    A Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) defending the men said he would appeal.

    “We believe the Chinese fishermen are innocent, they did not intend to go into the Philippine territory but were forced by bad weather,” the lawyer told reporters.

    The fishermen sat quietly listening to the verdict that court staff read in English and translated to Chinese.

    The captain, Liu Wenjie, was sentenced to prison for 12 years while his men from six to 10 years. They were also ordered to pay a fine of US$100,000.

    The fishermen had said they were on their way from Indonesia to China when bad weather forced them to take shelter at the reef, and they were not aware they were in the Philippine territory.

    The Chinese Government always attaches great importance to the security of its fishermen abroad, while educating and supervising them on their fishing activities, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry last year in response to the incident.

    (SD-Agencies)