By Ines B. Tagacay

THE BANTAY Dagat of the city government has sent words to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the PNP Maritime to find a new docking site for the foreign and domestic vessels it is holding under custody because they are unsightly and to keep the bay safe from toxic chemicals and oil slicks.

This development came following the Bantay Dagat’s retrieval of at least a thousand bottles of what is believed to be formalin in shallow waters off the bay.

Joel Desierto, a diver of the marine watchdog organization, said they apparently came from foreign fishing vessels that submerged a long time ago due to poor maintenance. They were salvaged from a depth of more than 10 feet

Ian Marcelo, the head of Bantay Dagat, said it was his recommendation to Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn to ask the PCG to look for a new docking location for the vessels it is holding under custody.

He said this is the best thing to do to avoid similar incidents and also because oil has been found to be leaking from the vessels.

The toxic bottles might have allegedly been hidden inside secret compartments of fishing vessels that have already gone down under while the cases of their owners are being heard at the Palawan Regional Trial Court.

To date, the PCG and the PNP Maritime are looking after vessels from three poaching cases that involve Chinese nationals.

Meanwhile, Hagedorn said he was shocked to learn about the report. He said the foreign fishing vessels should have been divested of all their contents as poor maintenance would really send them underwater.

Maritime authorities, he added, should have turned the inside-out of the vessels to look for other evidence other than the ones readily seen by the naked eye. He has ordered lawyer Arnulfo Tagle to assist in investigating the case so charges can be filed against concerned agencies for alleged negligence.

Until the time Hagedorn showed disappointment, the PCG and the PNP-Maritime reportedly did not help in the retrieval operation of the Bantay Dagat. This has apparently irked the mayor more to order that cases should be filed for responsible agencies that allow foreign fishing vessels to just sink without proper reports.

He said the boats were large enough in order for maritime authorities not to realize they’re already missing from where they’re docked.