TIGHTLIPPED. A worker of Tirso’s Fish Food Product a tempura and fishball manufacturer at sitio Sudtonggan, barangay Basak, Lapu Lapu City refuses to let Cebu Daily New Senior Reporter Marian Codilla enter the stablisment. The seized truck carrying shark meat at Naga City is owned by Tirso’s Fish Food product.
Police on Friday night released the driver and two helpers in a truck that was intercepted for carrying 14 chopped up thresher sharks after the Provincial Legal Office failed to file a case against them before the weekend.
Loy Madrigal, chief security officer of the Cebu provincial government, said the technicality forced them to approve the release from the Naga City Police Station of driver Allan Empinado, and his companions Daniel Amistoso, 61, and Gerry Atillo, 24.
The three men are from Lapu-Lapu City where the owner of the Isuzu Elf Truck, Tirso’s Fish Food Product, is based.
Madrigal led the operation of the provincial task force last Wednesday that resulted in the apprehension of the truck. He said the owner of the seafood processing plant “helped in the investigation” on the rampant shark trade around the province.
Good faith
“We released them in good faith. The owner of the truck cooperated, gave us valuable information about other operators who are using shark meat to make fishballs. But we would still continue with the regular filing,” he told Cebu Daily News in a telephone interview.
“They told me that they had no idea about the ordinance. They have no knowledge about it,” he added.
He said they will file charges in violation of the Provincial Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ordinance of 2012 against the three before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors Office early today.
Madrigal said he will also consult with Provincial Attorney Orvi Ortega if the owner of the truck could be charged.
The ordinance provides for the special protection of vulnerable species such as thresher sharks and bans the “hunting, catching, possession, transportation, sale, buying, distribution, wounding or killing” the creature.
Imprisonment of not more than one year or a fine of not more than P5,000 or both await violators.
Close to 470 kilos of frozen white shark meat in plastic bags were recovered by the team who set up a checkpoint in barangay Poblacion, Naga City.
Empinado reportedly claimed the cargo was loaded in the town of Siaton, Negros Oriental.
Madrigal said the owner of the truck named a number of other fish ball processor plants in the province that also use shark meat. He said they use the meat because it is white, aside from its cheaper cost, at P50 to P70 per kilo.
“The owner really stepped forward and promised us that they will stop using shark meat,” he said.
He said will also plan the task force’s next step on pursuing the other fish ball processors.
“I won’t disclose the names as not to alert them but we will surely conduct a raid soon,” said Madrigal.
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