City's bantay dagat chief sued for graft

Charge sheet includes BFAR official and other bantay dagat members

CEBU, Philippines - A fishing operator has filed criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas against the officials and members of the Cebu City Bantay Dagat Commission and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Engineer Romeo Villaceran, who operates a purseiner in Hagnaya, San Remigio, has accused bantay dagat director Ranulfo Sebusa, BFAR official Nathaniel Lucero and the members of the bantay dagat commission of violating the Republic Act 3019 otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

“It is humbly requested from your good office that an investigation be conducted immediately and that the respondent be sanctioned appropriately for their administrative infraction,” Villaceran said in his complaint prepared by lawyer Julius Cesar Entise.

 The case stemmed from the apprehension of Villaceran’s fish delivery to Pasil Public Market on April 12 by the members of the bantay dagat.

Villaceran said that the delivery truck he hired to transport 352 basins of fish to Pasil was apprehended because of the accusation that some of the fish was blasted. The delivery truck including the driver and the helper were brought to the bantay dagat office at the South Road Properties.

The truck and the driver as well as the helper however were later released. But, Villaceran said he could no longer sell the fish at its original price. Villaceran said he lost P261,000 income because of the incident.

“It is abundantly clear that the acts of Sebusa, Lucero and the unidentified members of CCBDC was tainted with gross bad faith and was utterly malicious because, if indeed the fish contained in the delivery truck was illegally caught, the persons in possession of the illegally caught fish should have been detained and the delivery truck containing supposed illegally caught fish should have been seized,” Villaceran’s affidavit reads.

Villaceran said he is a legitimate fishing operator who does not use illegal means. (FREEMAN)