Statement - CEPU, TFK joint statement on the assassination of Elpidio "Jojo" dela Victoria

This is a joint statement of Coastal Enforcement and Protection Unite (CEPU) of Ubay, Task Force Kalikupan (TFK) of CP Garcia, Fish Wardens Association of Talibon (FISWAT) and the Bien Unido Coastal Law Enforcement Unit (BUCLET) of the Province of Bohol on the assassination of Elpidio "Jojo" Dela Victoria, Director of the Cebu City Bantay Dagat Commission.

We, the fishery law enforcers of the four municipalities of Bohol join the entire nation in mourning for the death of a colleague Elpidio "Jojo" Dela Victoria who was mercilessly shot in the back on April 12, 2006 in the sacredness of his home in Talisay City, Cebu.

We condemn with the strongest terms possible this act of cowardice and treachery and calls on the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to work together to identify, arrest and prosecute the mastermind behind his brutal and godless act.

We call on fish wardens, Bantay Dagats and local government coastal and fishery law enforcers to join forces and contribute information that will lead to the identification of the mastermind behind this brutal killing.

We call on all our colleagues, the local government fishery law enforcers of the entire country to remain steadfast in our campaign against illegal and destructive forms of fishing and to remain unafraid and unmoved by such act of intimidation in our ranks.

We call on other responsible local government units to further strengthen their resolve to ward off instruction of commercial fishing operations in their municipal waters, to identify and prosecute dealers of blasting caps and cyanide that entice our fishers to commit illegal fishing.

We call on the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to suspend the Commercial Fishing Vessel Gears and Licenses (CFVGL) of habitual offenders.

We call on the BFAR to conduct massive training of fish examination and certify examiners especially from the ranks of the municipal agriculturists and PNP to be able to conduct market denial operations in public markets and checkpoints in key trade routes.

We call on the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to board and re-measure fishing vessels with gross tonnage between from 2.5GT to 2.9GT in the entire Visayan region especially in Bohol, Leyte, Bogo, Danao, Bantayan, Barili, Cadiz and Estancia.

We call on the BFAR, Marina, PCG, PNP, NBI and Bantay Dagats or municipal coastal law enforcers to start sharing information on enforcement and focus on preventive and pre-emptive enforcement responses.

We call on the Marina to suspend if not revoke the license of boat captains who are deliberately and habitually stirring their vessels towards municipal fishing grounds.

We call on the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to stop the practice of providing armed escorts to commercial fishing vessels when fishing inside municipal waters.

We call on Governors Erico Aumentado, Gwendolyn Garcia, George Arnaiz and Orlando Fua, Sr. to further strengthen the Coastal Law Enforcement Alliance in Region 7 (CLEAR7) that Jojo Dela Victoria co-founded to promote an integrated approach to coastal law enforcement in the Region.

All these are mere echoes of the cause that Elpidio "Jojo" Dela Victoria lived and died for.

Furthermore, in the face of these challenges in fishery law enforcement we praise the following individuals and officials who stood firm on their beliefs and principles. We praise The Honorable Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Vice Mayor Michael Rama of Cebu City for their magnanimous act of leadership for never leaving a fallen soldier on the ground.

We praise Police Director Eduardo Gador, Sr. Supt. Augusto Marquez, Sr. Supt. Vicente Loot and Sr. Supt. George Corpus for their expeditious operation to identify the suspects.

We praise environmental lawyer Antonio Oposa for bringing the cause of Elpidio "Jojo" Dela Victoria outside of the realm of Central Visayas and draw the world's attention to the plight of fishery law enforcers and marginal fishers.

The death of our friends and colleague Elpidio "Jojo" Dela Victoria only strengthened our resolve to be more vigilant, more aggressive, more forceful in combating commercial fishing in municipal waters, dynamite fishing, cyanide fishing and all other forms of illegal and destructive fishing in our areas without fear nor favor.

(Sgd.) Honorable Alan Abad
Sangunian Bayan Member
Coastal Enforcement Protection Unit
Municipality of Ubay, Bohol

(Sgd.) Honorable Nestor Abad
Sangunian Bayan Member
Task Force Kalikupan
Municipality of Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol

(Sgd.) Honorable Wayne Evardo
Sangunian Bayan Member
Fish Warden's Association of Talibon
Municipality of Talibon, Bohol

(Sgd.) SPO4 Victor Mundin
Team Leader
Bien Unido Coastal Law Enforcement Team
Municipality of Bien Unido, Bohol