Maricom arrests "pirates" off Cadiz waters
Days after a bold pronouncement was made by one Iloilo mayor on the resurgence of illegal fishing and security alert on the presence of "pirates", operatives of the 6th Regional Maritime Office scored a major arrest at sea.
As such, five male suspects face charges, two of whom are reporters of one local radio station in Masbate. The two are also bonafide members of Bantay Dagat seaborne patrol group.
In a report, The News Today (TNT) gathered that the arrest came Wednesday after Maritime officials were alerted of armed men on board one fishing boat spotted along the territorial sea off Cadiz City.
Investigation disclosed of some twelve male suspects, all heavily-armed with assault weapons on board MBCA Noel. The group took over F/B Cadiz City and at gunpoint ordered fishing boat crew Sergio Escala to change course heading towards Masbate territorial waters.
The group allegedly divested the crew of their personal belongings and demanded an undisclosed amount as payment for release of the fishing boat. In the course of the take-over, Escala managed to alert the rest of his crewmen numbering to about 30 and prompted his crew to fight back.
Call for help was then made to Maritime officials in the area that later led to the arrest of 45 year-old Douglas Gerasta and 46 year-old Allan Son, both reporters of DYME radio station and Bantay Dagat members. Also arrested were 42 year-old Ronaldo Gabriel, operator of MBCA Noel and a resident of Barangay Calacuchi, Milagros, Masbate, 20 year-old Nilo Mercader of Barangay Malbog, Cawayan, Masbate and the youngest in the group, 18 year-old Diosdado Ado of Barangay Nursery, Masbate City.
It was not immediately clear how the rest of the suspects escaped.
Recovered in the suspects' possession were one Elisco, M16 5.56mm baby armalite rifle, one 9MM Luger Assault rifle four M16 magazines with ammunitions, one KG99 magazine with ammunitions, one bandoller and couple of men's wallet with various identification cards.
In an interview, Superintendent Cornelio Salinas, 6th Maritime Regional Office chief said the arrested men are believed to be the same suspects responsible for previous heists at sea.
"I call on the others who were victimized in the past to coordinate in my office so we can help them in filing the charges," Salinas said. "There have been similar attacks at sea and most of the victims were ordered towards the waters within the territorial jurisdiction of Masbate. From there a bank account will be given to the fishing boat operator where the money demanded from them are supposed to be sent. Failure to give will have them accosted at sea again."
Maritime's Senior Inspector Ervin Glenn Provido was tasked to file the charges against the five suspects including a case for misrepresenting themselves as Maritime officials.