Province loses active Bantay Dagat operative--Tupas
Villa
Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas Sr. directed Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO) director Senior Supt. Melvin Mongcal to conduct a thorough investigation and bring to justice the killers of the Bantay Dagat commander of Barangay Binun-an, Batad, Iloilo last Sunday night.
Reynaldo "Dandoy" Villa Sr. was shot by an unknown assailant inside their detachment around 8:30 p.m. He died while on the way to the hospital. The gunman, on the other hand, fled to an unknown direction after the shooting.
Tupas believed Villa's attacker could have been hired by persons whom he had stepped on in his relentless campaign against illegal fishing.
The governor said Villa's death is a great loss to his administration's drive against illegal fishing activities in the fifth district.
Tupas noted that Villa was the most active Bantay Dagat official in the province.
Tupas said members of the Batad police already have leads as to the identities of the suspects as Villa was able to tell his son who had shot him before he lost his last breath.
Late last year, Villa asked the help of Governor Tupas after he was reportedly harassed by policemen from the towns of Estancia and Batad who forcibly took two fishing vessels under his custody.
The two fishing vessels, owned by a certain Connie Medelo, from Roxas City were impounded after having been caught conducting illegal fishing activities in the waters of Concepcion, Iloilo.
Villa's complaint led to the filing of administrative charges against the involved policemen.