Bantay Ilog threatened with gunshots
ILLEGAL FISH PEN DEMOLITION
DEMOLITION of remaining illegal fish pens located in supposed titled properties is continuing with the dismantling of two more large fish pens as of Thursday by Task Force Bantay Ilog.
Maximo Solis, former councilman of barangay Mangin and technical consultant in the Office of City Agriculturist Emma Molina, said the task force had demolished another fish pen of Erwin Dee in Barangay Calmay and Darius de los Angeles in Tocok, Lucao.
Both Dee and De los Angeles own several fish pens in the rivers of Dagupan purportedly covered by land titles and tax declaration certificates.
However, Solis reported that further demolition of Dee’s illegal fish pens was slowed down Thursday afternoon when members of the demolition team heard gun shots as they approached the pen to be demolished.
They suspected that the gun shots came from Dee’s men, one of whom argued with the demolition team the previous week, claiming that Dee already talked to Mayor Belen Fernandez who supposedly agreed to extend the moratorium on their fish pens.
The mayor has reportedly denied speaking to Dee, much less agreeing to stop the demolition.
Solis said after hearing the gun shots, Task Force Bantay Ilog suspended demolition of Dee’s pen and decided to await Mayor Belen Fernandez’s return from a conference of the League of Cities in Bataan.
“We have to wait for further orders from the mayor,” Solis said, fearng that if they proceed with demolition, violence could erupt.
NO FEAR
City Agriculturist Molina, however, said Task Force Bantay Ilog will continue to demolish other fish pens until they receive an order from Mayor Fernandez calling off the operation.
She said resistance from fish pen owners and caretakers is expected but this will not stop them from carrying out the order to demolish the pens which is part of a program to clear and revive the city’s rivers.
Solis said he saw Dee later at the office of Molina in an attempt to plead anew for a special concession as his fish stocks are reportedly due to be harvested by May.
The mayor had warned the protesting fish pen owners last November not to restock fingerlings until the issue is resolved but Dee and De los Angeles defied her directive.
De los Angeles, who is from Binmaley and operates a number of fish pens in Dagupan, is reportedly another fish pen owner seeking audience with Fernandez through Molina’s intercession.
Molina confirmed that Dee and De los Angeles are appealing to Fernandez to give them till May before dismantling their fish pens.
Both are asking for consideration since the stock they are told to to harvest today will only grow to their marketable stage on or before the Holy Week.
The fish pen listed under the name of former Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president Charisse Perez but actually owned by her mother, former Pantal Barangay Captain Lilia Yasar, measuring 850 square meters, was already voluntarily torn down by the owner.
Also demolished as of Feb. 20 was one of the fish pens of De los Angeles located in Sitio Tocok, Lucao measuring 780 square meters. It was tended by a certain Milan.
Mayor Fernandez earlier decried the acquisition of titles of parts of rivers and water ways of Dagupan despite a Supreme Court ruling that rivers and water ways are parts of public domain and therefore beyond the commerce of man.
VOLUNTARY DISMANTLING
Meanwhile, harvesting of fish stock is ongoing at the pen of Emilio Estac in Sitio Talaib, Carael and the two fish pens of Allan Ballesteros.
Harvesting is expected to be completed by February 23 and the owners have committed to voluntarily dismantle their structures.
“We will monitor all these if they really harvested their fish and voluntarily dismantle their structures,” Molina said, adding that it is better that the owners voluntarily tear down their own structures.–LVM
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