Bantay Dagat member, fisher dead in shootout

CEBU, Philippines - A Bantay Dagat member was shot dead while trying to apprehend illegal fishermen in Barangay Talaga, Argao town, last Thursday evening. He also managed to shoot his assailant who was later found dead.

Alvin Galeos, 39, a resident of barangay Poblacion, Argao, was with four other Bantay Dagat members monitoring the waters off Argao around 10 p.m. when they spotted some fishermen using a compressor to fish, which was illegal.

Galeos together with Francisco Manayan, Christian John Alyawan, and Eudorico Alyawan approached on a motorized pump boat while Veronico Berondo came in from another pump boat to apprehend the illegal fishers.

The illegal fishers who were identified were Edgar Anori, Roselo Borbon and Joel Quisagan, they were with another man who was unidentified.

Galeos’ team tailed Quisagan and tried to approach them when the latter said “atong estroyahon ni bai, di ko padakop” and pulled out a gun and shot Galeos.

Galeos, who was also armed with a gun, returned fire while the other Bantay Dagat members jumped into the water to safety.

One of the Bantay Dagat members said they heard around five gunshots before they surfaced. Galeos was already wounded while the illegal fishers had fled.

The team hurriedly brought Galeos to land and called for assistance but he later died.

Policemen recovered two 9mm cal. slugs from the motorized pump boat.

Manayan said Galeos was not able to jump off the pump boat since he did not know how to swim. He added that Galeos already had an order to be transferred to another municipal agency.

Argao chief Senior Insp. Wilbert Parrilla said they later received a radio message from the Dalaguete police station about 7 a.m. about a dead person found in a pump boat drifting in the waters off Barangay Coro, Dalaguete town.

The body was later determined to be that of Quisagan, a resident of barangay Sangat, San Fernando town. He had a gunshot wound in the pelvic area. 

His fellow fishers where nowhere to be found, but witnesses said they saw three fishermen swimming towards the shoreline early morning and told them that their pump boat had taken in water and sank.

“Nag-abayan lang kuno ug gallon gikan sa lawod ingon kuno nga nalunod ilang gisakyan,” Parrilla told The FREEMAN over the phone.

Parrilla added that Quisagan was convicted in 2007 for illegal fishing before the Municipal Trial Court.

Quisagan’s body was brought to the St. William Funeral Homes in Argao while Galeos’ body was brought to Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes in Carcar City. Both cadavers will be subjected to a paraffin test.

Parrilla said they still have to investigate how Galeos was able to carry a gun because Bantay Dagat members are not allowed to bring firearms.

Meanwhile, the Capitol will extend P5,000 cash assistance to the family of Galeos.

Aside from cash assistance, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia directed Provincial Social Welfare Development Officer Marivic Garces to immediately send rice, canned goods and instant coffee to the family of Galeos amounting to P3,445.

Garcia said that the incident will not stop the campaign of the Province of Cebu against illegal fishing.

During the meeting of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Fishing Task Force yesterday, Garcia called on the mayors to submit a list of their active Bantay Dagat members as she intends to insure them with GSIS group accident insurance.

Garcia will also meet all Bantay Dagat members as soon as she gets the lists to discuss their concerns about being in the frontline in the province’s campaign against illegal fishing. 

Garcia also did not heed yesterday the request of commercial fishing operators to allow them to operate within 10.1 kilometers from shoreline. She said the task force is implementing the law until commercial fishing operators can convince them to reduce the limit of 15 kilometers as provided by law. (FREEMAN)