Brgy Officials may face charges Corals seized in Punta Engaño

CEBU, Philippines - The officials of Barangay Punta Engaño in Lapu-Lapu City may be charged for dereliction of duty after the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 7 have seized more than 1.4 tons of assorted corals loaded in an abandoned truck.

The Cebu Provincial Task Force Against Illegal Fishing headed by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has tasked the NBI-7 to also file appropriate charges for possible violation of the fishery laws.

The barangay officials who are stand to face criminal and administrative charges are identified as Captain Lourdes Ibag and the members of the council Crisanta Estardo, Diosaminda Hayashi, Vicente Cañete, Myrna Bancate, Loreto Cargamento, George Quijano and Sangguniang Kabataan chairman Herbey Ruben.

A team composed of the elements of NBI, BFAR, 78th Infantry Battalion, Capitol personnel and Naval Forces Central yesterday conducted an operation in sitio Malingin, Punta Engaño. No persons were arrested.

BFAR-7 representative estimated the seized corals at 1.450 tons. One of which was identified as Heliopora specy or blue coral which syrup extract is used as ingredient in making “bubble tea” drink and also being used in tropical aquarium.

Also seized were some shells of endangered species such as helmet shell or budyong and triton or trumpet shell or tambuli.

No amount yet has been estimated on the cost of the seized corals because only exporters could determine its cost.

Fisheries Administrative Order No. 158 prohibits the gathering, taking, collecting, selling, transporting or possessing for sale of mollusks belonging to the genus Triton or Charonia and Cassis.

It has a penalty of not less than P500 but not more than P5,000 or an imprisonment from six months to four years or both, upon the discretion of the court.

Fisheries Administrative Order No. 202 bans the coral exploitation and exploitation and has a penalty from P2,000 to P20,000 or an imprisonment from six months to two years or both.

Since the corals can no longer be returned to the sea, Garcia ordered BFAR and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office to dispose it to educational institution which may use it for experimentation purposes.

Garcia encouraged the team to continue its operations while the provincial government is always there to support logistically. — (FREEMAN)