Patricio vows to act vs abuses of Bantay Dagat
ROXAS CITY – Pilar Mayor Rita Lyn Patricio said she will act on the alleged abuses committed by the supposed members of Bantay Dagat once the authenticity of the complainants are verified.
“I understand and give sympathy to the plight of our constituents in Pilar, Capiz who allegedly suffered acts of terrorism or violence from persons tagged by you as claiming to be members of Bantay Dagat,” Patricio said in her letter-reply to four village chiefs who have voiced out such acts of the Bantay Dagat.
However, Patricio said that a close perusal of the letter obviously reveals the nature, character, and/or seriousness of the imputations unto the persons named therein as members of the Bantay Dagat.
According to her, it appears that the residents did not sign the letter simultaneously with the other signatories and that they did not sign it right after the letter was executed because it is clear they signed on paper very much different from that where the four punong barangay signed theirs.
Obviously, those papers were simply attached to the letter. “Likewise, there were attached letters appearing to have been executed by minors without the assistance of their respective parents or guardian,” Patricio said in letter-reply.
Earlier, a document furnished to The News Today showed that four village chiefs – Marie Poblador of Casanayan, Rolando Bayanban of Binaobawan, Emmanuel Abelita of Balogo and Leonides Martires of Rosario – sent a letter to Patricio, asking the mayor for a list of the composition of Bantay Dagat personnel in Pilar.
The four village chiefs alleged that numerous marginal fishermen are being terrorized by the Bantay Dagat members, warning them that their fishing vessels will be apprehended if they will not vote for administration candidates.
These Bantay Dagat personnel claim to be deputized agents of a person in authority of the local government unit and are armed with high-powered guns. They are wearing fatigue uniforms without any name plates, they said.
The village heads added that worse, the lack of courtesy and technical background of the Bantay Dagay personnel are very apparent.
In an initial reply, however, former Mayor Gideon “Ike” Patricio, the mayor’s husband, said the municipal government will file a case for illegal fishing against the four village chiefs for tolerating illegal fishing.
He had also claimed that the complaints of the four village chiefs are politically motivated.*
