SUPPORT poured in for two elderly fishermen who were accosted by police authorities in Mati City, Davao Oriental for illegal fishing on Monday morning, March 15.
In a press release issued by the Mati City Information Office (CIO) on Monday evening, the fishermen were identified as 62-year-old Bernardo Tolin, a resident of Sitio Malibago, Barangay Badas; and Ernido Opo, 65, a resident of Sitio Sikalig in Barangay Mamali. Both were accosted for their unregistered fishing bancas.
The two were accosted separately while fishing about 80 meters from the shoreline of Sitio Camansi in Barangay Badas.
Confiscated from Tolin was a motorized banca worth P10,000 with engine 6.5Hp Duran Guard worth P5,500. Opo, on the other hand, has a motorized banca worth P7,000 with an engine 8Hp Commando.
Both fishermen were brought to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Maritime temporary shelter in Sitio Bilawan and advised to proceed to the City Agriculture Office to pay and register their bancas.
Several netizens have also offered to help in the registration of the banca of the two fishermen.
Mati Councilor Eric Rabat said he has volunteered to help defray the cost of the banca registration of two fishermen.
A check with the City Agriculture Office (CAO) showed that the annual registration fee of motorized bancas ranges from P930 to P980, including the P130 three-year registration for fishermen.
Rabat said that though the law applies to everyone, regardless of age, consideration must be made taking into account that the two erring fishermen are already senior citizens and their violations were only due to unregistered fishing vehicles.
The councilor said his office will readily coordinate with the CAO for the registration of the bancas.
Rabat, however, said that the help extended to the two elderly fishermen is due only to humanitarian reasons and should not be expected to be accorded to other fishermen who purposely violate the laws.
The PNP Maritime, meanwhile, clarified that the two elderly fishermen were merely advised by their personnel to have their bancas registered and that they were allowed to return home after.
The Maritime said they even gave fuel to one of the fishermen so he could return home. (With Mati CIO)