7 charged in Dagupan for attempting to sell ‘double-dead’ bangus
THE Dagupan City government here filed Wednesday afternoon criminal complaints against six businessmen and their drivers for bringing their decayed bangus sourced from the fish kill in Anda and Bolinao towns into the city.
City Agriculturist Emma Molina and City Health Officer Ophelia Rivera filed the complaints at the City Prosecutor’s Office ” for violation of Article 12, Section 37 of the Food Safety Act of 2013, Sanitation Code, Article 40 of the Consumer Act of the Philippines and Section 73 of the Fisheries Code of Dagupan City or any appropriate charge against them”.
Charged were spouses Isagani and Nancy Rarang of Siapar, Richie Cano and Perfecto Cacho of Poblacion, Artemio Carolino Jr and Andy Credo of Mal-ong, all from Anda town; and Lorence Espinocilla of San Antonio, Alaminos City.
On June 2 at around 8:00 p. m., Perfecto Cacho, driver of the Rarang couple, drove a truck containing a ton of bangus to be sold in Dagupan but failed to present the required auxiliary invoice.
“The complained acts of non-presentation of auxiliary invoice, transport and sale of double-dead fish produce are unlawful and malicious,” the complaints said.
On June 3 at around 12:05 a.m., the police invited Richie Cano, cargo truck driver of the Rarang couple, but again failed to present auxiliary invoice from Anda for another ton of bangus. This prompted Marjorie Villanueva of Dagupan Agriculture Office to conduct sample tests on the fishes and found these unfit for human consumption.
Villanueva’s tests showed the confiscated cargo was found to be in various decomposition stages.
Still on June 3, the police also invited Espinocilla, driver of the Rarang couple, who also failed to present an auxiliary invoice for the ton of bangus loaded in the truck.
On June 4 at around 7:30 a. m., Andy Celeste and Artemio Carolino Jr, were intercepted and also failed to present auxiliary invoice for the 20 banyeras of milkfish mixed with fresh and fish kill-affected bangus unloaded by a Mitsubishi L-300 van driven by Andy Credo at the fish market.
Molina and Rivera charged that Artemio Carolino Jr and Andy Credo “acted in conspiracy to violate the laws so that the appropriate charges may be filed against them.”
This is the first time a local government unit sued businessmen attempting to sell wasted bangus from a fish kill.
“We mean business here and we have been doing our best to cleanse our rivers and protect our bangus industry and bangus from fishkill”, Fernandez said. (Eva Visperas)
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