DAANBANTAYAN police said they were ready to file charges against two fishermen for the death of dive instructor Al Bernard Gestopa Coyoca, a victim of suspected blast fishing.
Coyoca was laid to rest yesterday in Liloan town.
The day before, police arrested Jindo Rosalejos Pepito, who was caught in a banca on Friday dawn throwing bottles believed used for dynamite fishing.
Pepito’s name was mentioned by witnesses as one of the fishermen engaged in blast fishing in the morning of Sept. 30 when Coyoca was underwater on a dive.
PO3 Victor Avenido, investigator of the Daabantayan police, said they are preparing charges of homicide and violation of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998. He declined to name the second suspect who is still at large.
The victim’s father Enrico expressed his gratitude that law enforcers were making progress in the case.
Coyoca, a 33-year-old professional dive instructor, was visiting Daanbantayan with his family and went exploring the seawaters of barangay Paypay alone. His death was initially reported by police as a drowning but an autopsy showed that he died of “traumatic injuries to the head and trunk compatible with blastincidence”.
Members of the dive community, including Coyoca’s family, expressed indignation over the continued practice of dynamite fishing and warned that it would jeopardize dive tourism in Daanbantayan and Malapascua Island.
Senior Supt. Noel Gillamac said police found witnesses who said illegal fishers tossed a homemade bottle of dynamite in Coyoca’s direction, thinking his movements underwater indicated the presence of fish.