Madridejos mayor: Let experts check

CEBU, Philippines - Madridejos Mayor Salvador de la Fuente confirmed that he owns the truck carrying 25 kilos of assorted fish believed to be caught illegally together with 90 boxes of other marine products from Masbate.

The mayor, however, denied that the fish was caught by illegally since his buying station in Masbate does not buy marine products caught by blasting. The products that he buys are sold for export.

Fish examiners on training intercepted the truck carrying the fish in barangay Cotcot, Liloan town. The trainees decided to hold the cargo as the fish appeared to have been caught by blasting.

De la Fuente said that the fish were caught using fish cages as well as line and arrow.

The mayor said that he wants the fish preserved so they can get a second opinion as those that deemed them to have been caught illegally were not yet experts, but just trainees.

The field activity was part of a 12-day training for fish examiners in the Province of Cebu held at the Cebu International Convention Center that ended yesterday.

The fish examiner’s training conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) produced 18 graduates, three of which are women.

The graduates are currently preparing for their one month post evaluation before they could officially be named fish examiners.

During the activity, the group was able to chance upon the truck owned by de la Fuente loaded with marine products.

Only the box of fish was examined and confiscated.

One of the trainees, Jeoffrey Merencillo, said that the fish examiners from the BFAR were the ones who examined the fish while the trainees only observed.

BFAR cannot, however, charge de la Fuente in court, because they said that it was not established if he really owned the alleged blasted fish.

Merencillo, field operation officer of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Illegal Fishing Task Force, said no one received and signed the confiscation receipt and the fish was considered abandoned.  

Merencillo said it could also be possible the fish was just loaded in the truck without the knowledge of de la Fuente.

He said the invoice also did not include the fish.

But de la Fuente confirmed the fish was part of the entire shipment and it belongs to him.

Except the fish, the rest of the marine products as well as the truck were immediately released by BFAR.

Last May 13 the Task Force together with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the 78th Infantry Battalion seized 44 boxes of blasted fish in the same area.

The task force declared the fish abandoned since it was not claimed.

The 44 boxes of fish were, however, pronounced safe for consumption by BFAR and have been distributed to various institutions — Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Sisters of Mary Boys and Girls Town, Department of Justice Witness Protection Program and Asilo de la Milagrosa Orphanage. -/NLQ (FREEMAN)