MSB 11/2025 - Piracy Incident in the Philippine Sea

30 September 2025

MARINE SECURITY BULLETIN 11/2025

Dear Shipowners, Operators and Masters

Subject: Piracy Incident in the Philippine Sea

On 23 September 2025, a vessel anchored near Batangas in the Philippine Sea was boarded by pirates in position 13-45.766N 120-59.054E. A deck crewman alerted the bridge when two suspicious persons boarded the vessel by climbing up the anchor chain through the anchor hawse pipe, one was reported to be armed with a knife. The 2 suspicious people fled upon being discovered by the crew. Two fire hoses and two portable embarkation ladder lights were reported stolen from the vessel. No crew members were injured, and no damage was reported to the ship. Port Authorities have been notified of the incident and a follow-on security inspection has been conducted reporting no additional damage or loss.

Recommendations

All vessels transiting this area with plans to call these ports are advised to take extra precautions and measures in accordance with the approved ship security plan and report any suspicious activities to the relevant authorities including IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC) imbkl@icc-ccs.org, piracy@icc-ccs.org and security@liscr.com. Vessels transiting the area are also encouraged to prepare for known threats in the region in accordance with guidance set forth in the Best Management Practices for Maritime Security (BMP MS) as well as the Regional Guide to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery.

Contact Information

Please keep LISCR’s Security Department informed of any security incidents at:

Office of the Senior Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs Republic of Liberia

22980 Indian Creek Drive, Suite 200 Dulles, Virginia 20166 USA

D: +1 571 495 5944 / O: +1 703 790 3434 / F: +1 703 790 5655

Email: Security@liscr.com www.liscr.com