Over 200 sacks of shells were confiscated at an abandoned warehouse in San Roque, SRP.
Authorities yesterday intercepted a truck carrying over 200 sacks of seashells along the South Road Properties in Talisay City.
Loy Anthony Madrigal, team leader of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Illegal Fishing Task Force, said the truck has been under surveillance for about a month after an informant told them that it was being used to deliver seashells, some of which were said to be endangered species.
“Our team has been following up this case after we heard that there is a warehouse that has stocks of ‘budjong’ in this area,” he said.
The surveillance team saw the truck enter a compound owned by Julius Inocencio that houses a second-hand car shop in barangay San Roque where they also saw “in plain view” sacks of seashells.
Madrigal said they seized various species of seashells such as Prince cowrie, Beck’s cowrie, smooth topshells, network beak shells, and giant clams which were taken to the provincial Capitol.
But according to Randolph Corrales of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), only the giant clam was considered an endangered species.
BFAR Regional Director, Andres Bojos said they will examine the seized shells and determine if the owner of the property violated Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
A lawyer who identified himself as Inocencio’s counsel arrived in the area and questioned the legality of the operation.
Lawyer Eugene Sumampong berated the raiding team and demanded that they produce a search warrant.
“You cannot simply barge into private properties,” he said.
Madrigal, the task force team leader, however argued that what they did was within the bounds of the law as the alleged contraband items were displayed “in plain view”.
Sumampong insisted that the owner of the property is a car dealer, but he would not answer queries on why the seashells were in the compound./With Palompon Institute of Technology intern Kristal A. Eduyan
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