‘Bantay-Dagat’ leader, nephew slain in Batangas

[daveconc]

Another martyr for defending our marine resources...

?Bantay-Dagat? leader, nephew slain in Batangas | ABS-CBN News Online Beta

BATANGAS - An anti-illegal fishing group leader in San Juan town and his nephew were ambushed by still unidentified gunmen Wednesday morning, police said.

Superintendent Manuel Abrugena, San Juan town police chief, identified the fatalities as Marcel De Chavez, chairman of San Juan Bantay Dagat, an anti-illegal fishing task group, and his nephew Roel Banog, 37, both residents of Barangay Pinagbayanan.

Abrugena said the victims were waylaid while on board a jeep in Petron gas refilling station in Barangay Poblacion around 11:30 a.m..

Both victims died on the spot. Crime scene investigators recovered 10 spent shells of a .45 pistol.

Witnesses said the gunmen, who were around 18 to 25 years old, casually walked to a waiting motorcycle after shooting De Chavez and Banog.

Abrugena said the victims could have been killed due to their active campaign against illegal fishing.

“Actually, mahigit 100 katao na ang naaresto ng Bantay-Dagat at PNP dahil sa illegal na pangingisda mula noong January hanggang September kaya marami na ring galit kay De Chavez at sa grupo niya,” Abrugena said.

 

[shugar]

that's so sad...

similar thing happened in Calatagan about 8 years ago... the bantay dagat was doing it's job and the leader was "put to sleep"

Jag

 

[drbill]

Very sad... but not unusual to see tactics like this even here in the States (generally in the form of death threats rather than actual killings).

 

[Joe Cool]

This is very sad news indeed. To lose valuable members of society through murder is absolutely pointless and cowardly. Those outlaws ought to be hanged!

 

[greatwolf]

Sad news. I do hope the perpetrators do get caught and brought to justice.

 

[drbill]

I don't know if there is any validity to this in the PI, but I've heard that some illegal fishing activities in other parts of the region are mafia supported. Is this a possibility here?

 

[jigo]

not likely. unless bantay dagat is disrupting drug runs. drugs are supposedly dropped at sea and picked up by small boats.

 

[jonix]

sad news indeed

 

[World Wide Diver]

I don't know if there is any validity to this in the PI, but I've heard that some illegal fishing activities in other parts of the region are mafia supported. Is this a possibility here?

We have heard that some illegal 'fishing' activities are coordinated by 'connected' people here and there, but I think mafia is a strong word to use.

Most illegal activities seem to be undertaken by local people except for trading in endangered species (fish, turtle, corals, etc) as this obviously needs good national/international contacts.

For example, there is illegal trade in hawksbill turtles/eggs in one area in Southern Mindanao. I can't name the place as it's supposedly under investigation by the DENR. Our Filipino friend who reported this has received very intimidating phone calls from those responsible.

 

[drbill]

As I said, I have absolutely no information about the illegal fishing activities in the PI. However, the Indonesian government has given permission to Australia to sink illegal fishing vessels in their waters because the "mafia" (their term apparently, at least as it was translated) is involved in this activity. Of course the word mafia is probably over used in relation to "organized crime" activities.