Dynamite blast kills fisherman in Medellin town

CEBU, Philippines - A 46-year-old fisherman died after a dynamite he was allegedly using to catch fish prematurely exploded Sunday afternoon aboard his paddle boat off Barangay Gibitngil, Medellin town.

Ignacio Monato, of Purok Tomas, Barangay Kawit, died because of excessive loss of blood due to severe injuries in the chest and left thigh. The explosion also had the victim’s right hand severed.

Monato was rushed by his son, Gerald, to the Municipal Health Office but he was declared dead on arrival by Dr. Nicomedes Jabel.

PO2 Roselito Ortega, investigator, said the victim lighted a homemade dynamite but it went off before he could throw it.

An improvise dynamite is made of ammonium nitrate mixed with other flammable components sealed inside an empty plastic bottle rigged with blasting cap.

Ortega said that dynamite fishing has been rampant in the town despite the existing laws against it.

“Bisan ug unsaon pa na sila lisod na sila pahunungon kay mao na man na ilang panginabuhi,” Ortega said, adding that the incident should serve as a lesson to other illegal fishers.

Meanwhile, a total of 150 kilos of dynamited fishes were seized by the Anti-illegal Fishing Task Force of the Capitol in Daanbantayan town. The team led by Loy Anthony Madrigal was conducting an anti-illegal fishing operation in the said town when they heard of the blasting accident.

Madrigal said they were tipped off about the illegally caught fishes which were sourced from the waters of Daanbantayan and was supposed to be transported to Mandaue City.  Madrigal, however, said they have yet to identify the owner.

“Wa na may niangkon. Gikarga ra man sa Ceres,” he said.

The team was also tipped off that there were hundreds of kilos of fishes that were already smuggled.

“Six hundred kilos daw ni tanan matod sa report. Gibahin bahin lang daw. Ang uban napalusot na,” Madrigal said.

Madrigal warned that illegal fishers using dynamite will be charged with illegal possession of explosives if caught.

Under the law, manufacture, sale, acquisition, disposition or possession of explosives is prohibited.

The penalty, if convicted, is 6 to 12 years imprisonment and a fine of not less than P50,000. (FREEMAN)