00:00The Supreme Court declares unconstitutional the government policy requiring commercial fishing vessels to install a vessel monitoring system.
00:08The SC rules the policy violates commercial fishing operators' constitutional rights against unreasonable searches and seizures, as well as their
00:15rights to due process and equal protection.
00:18The decision affirms the 2021 decision that declared Fisheries Administrative Order 266 unconstitutional.
00:24FAO No. 266 set the guidelines for vessel monitoring measures and an electronic reporting system for commercial Philippine-flagged fishing
00:32vessels.
00:33The policy aims to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, or IUU, by tracking vessel locations, fish catch, and ports
00:41of departure and arrival.
00:42The High Court says the government failed to show that the vessel monitoring system is effective in detecting IUU fishing
00:48violations.
00:49The court adds the policy exceeded parameters in monitoring and surveillance of commercial fishing vessels and permits unreasonable searches and
00:57seizures.
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