by Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Dec 10 (PIA) – Joint elements of Naval Forces West based in Balabac and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) apprehended five Chinese poachers at 1.5 nautical miles off the coast of Brgy Ramos, Balabac, Palawan, recently.
The 6th Civil Relations Group of the AFP reported that the arrest of poachers was based on the report that a foreign watercraft is at the vicinity of the said barangay and believed to be conducting illegal activities.
The report of a concerned individual was crucial to the arrest when the military received the report at about 6:30 in the afternoon from a concerned individual on the presence of a speedboat with twin outboard motor at the proximity of Sitio Calugcug, Brgy Ramos, Balabac in Palawan believed to be of foreign national and allegedly poaching sea turtles.
The military said that upon receipt of the report Major Ferdinand D. Atos PN, the commanding officer of Naval Station Narciso Del Rosario (NSNDR), immediately coordinated with other law enforcement agencies and the municipal government of Balabac for the repudiation of the illegal activity and possible apprehension of the poachers.
A group was organized and divided into two teams composed of the personnel coming from NSNDR, 212nd marine company of MBLT-12 and the OIC of DENR sub office that is also based in Balabac. The municipal government of Balabac provided the two speedboats that were used by the teams.
The military narrated that after the briefing at about 8:40 pm of December 1 the teams discretely proceeded to the location of the reported speedboat and maneuvered towards the subject upon confirming the information. The crew of the foreign speedboat however resisted the possibility of arrest and sped away which led to a hot pursuit operation. The poachers also tried to bump and ram the speedboat used by a team while trying to evade arrest. (6CRGAFP/RVC-PIA9 ZBST)