CEBU, Philippines - What was supposed to be an anti-illegal fishing operation off the waters of the South Road Properties has led to the seizure of deadly weapons and illegal drugs.
A pump boat near the docking area of San Roque, Mambaling, Cebu City yielded a tackle box of marijuana and guns when boarded by the Capitol’s Anti-illegal Fishing Task Force.
Two people onboard, Richard Leyson, 30, of Ormoc City, Leyte, and Jake Perez, 29, of Lapu-Lapu City, were also arrested.
Loy Anthony Madrigal, team leader of the Capitol’s Anti-illegal Fishing Task Force, said he was tipped off that a pumpboat in the waters near the Talisay City Fish Port was believed to have been carrying contrabands.
This prompted him to immediately coordinate with the Naval Forces Central (Navforcen) to find out what were loaded in the boat.
Past 11 a.m. yesterday, Madrigal’s group boarded the boat and found eight blasting caps believed to be used for illegal fishing. They also recovered a tackle box containing dried marijuana, two rifles, a .22 caliber pistol, and one gun which type has yet to be determined as of press time.
“Ganihang buntag, naagian ni nako naay tapad usa ka pumpboat. Duda nako gi-transfer na ang ubang sulod didto (I already passed by the area this morning and noticed another boat beside it. I suspect much of the contraband has already been transferred),” Madrigal said.
He did not yet receive the information about the contraband when he saw the pumpboat while checking the periphery as part of the Ironman competition preparation on August 3.
The seized items and the suspects were brought to the Mambaling Police Station while the boat was impounded at the Navforcen station in Lapu-Lapu City. The value of the marijuana has also yet to be determined.
Madrigal said he would make a report to Governor Hilario Davide III and would work on the complaints to be filed against Leyson and Perez. He said the two would face charges for illegal possession of firearms, illegal possession of explosives, and violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
Petty Officer 3 Rey Enario, Coast Guard Sub-station Aduana commander, said an investigation will be conducted to trace the owner of the captured vessel.
In an interview, Leyson and Perez denied having knowledge on the seized items, saying they were only hired to fix the boat’s propeller.
“Wa mi kabalo sa sulod. Gi-hire ra pod mi sa among silingan. Di unta mi apil-apilon ana kay igo ra man mi nagsawom anang propeller (We did not know what was inside the boat. We were hired by our neighbor to just check on the propeller),” Perez told The FREEMAN.
They also claimed to have no knowledge on the owner of the boat.
A Cebu City Bantay Dagat Task Force personnel, who refused to be named, lamented that Madrigal did not coordinate with them during the operation considering that the area is already within the jurisdiction of the city.
“Ok ra man nang manakop pero di man iyang jurisdiction, magpahibawo unta siya sa coast guard. Mo-coordinate unta ba (He should have coordinated with us as it was already within our jurisdiction),” he said.
But Madrigal said he was with Navforcen personnel, which has jurisdiction over all waters of the country; besides, the area was at the boundary with Talisay City, a component city of the province.
“Wa man pod koy number nila. Naa koy kaila taga Navforcen mao akong gitawagan. Kinahanglan na pod to dali-on kay basin molarga unya, (We had to act immediately before the boat could escape),” he told The FREEMAN, in a phone interview. — /RHM (FREEMAN)