NINE people were arrested for alleged cyanide fishing in the coastal waters of Capual village, Omar, Sulu, following a joint law enforcement operation by the military, police, and local residents on Sunday, September 27, 2026.
Lieutenant Colonel Dante Mantes, commander of the 101st Infantry Battalion, said Monday, September 28, that the law enforcement operation was launched after a concerned citizen alerted authorities about suspected illegal fishing in the vicinity of Sitio Taluk-Taluk, Capual village.
Mantes said troops from the battalion’s Bravo Company led by First Lieutenant Gian Roi Bartolata, coordinated with Police Captain Alkheen Pudding, Omar Municipal Police Station chief, and went to Sitio Taluk-Taluk together with policemen and members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team.
“The joint team apprehended nine individuals allegedly using a compressor in cyanide fishing, an illegal and destructive practice that can damage coral and other marine resources,” Mantes said in a statement.
The operatives also confiscated two motorboats and fishing equipment allegedly used in the illegal activity.
The suspects and confiscated equipment were turned over to the Omar Municipal Police Station for investigation and appropriate legal action, according to Mantes.
Brigadier General Alaric Avelino Delos Santos, commander of the 1102nd Infantry Brigade, commended the village officials and residents for reporting the illegal activity and helping authorities protect the community’s coastal resources.
“This is community-based peace and security in action,” Delos Santos said in a statement, stressing that residents are becoming active partners not only in maintaining peace and order but also in protecting national resources and livelihoods.
He said the incident demonstrated the importance of cooperation among residents, village officials, law enforcement agencies and security forces in addressing threats to communities and strengthening environmental protection in Sulu. (SunStar Zamboanga)