BACOLOD CITY: A fishing boat captain died, while his brother was wounded after a violent confrontation erupted between operatives of Iloilo Police with the Provincial Bantay Dagat and alleged illegal fishermen from Sagay, Negros Occidental in the seas surrounding Balidian Island between Concepcion, Iloilo and Negros Occidental.Police identified the fatality as Vivencio Espinosa, captain of fishing vessel F/B Glory of the Sea, from Sagay City, while his brother, Jonel, 35, was wounded. It was said that Bantay Dagat operatives ordered Espinosa’s fishing vessel to stop their illegal operations as they were inside the municipal waters of Concepcion. But instead of stopping they fled forcing the authorities to chase. When the policemen boarded the fishing boat a scuffle erupted between the fishing vessel’s crew and the operatives where Jonel was stabbed by a Bantay Dagat member, according to report. Vivencio also joined in the fight, but was hit in the head by a bamboo and also stabbed in the back by one of the policemen. The scuffle ended after a police officer fired warning shot. Meanwhile, the fishing vessel crew denied they were illegally fishing, claiming they are fishing along the Makahulom Reef which belongs to the territorial waters of Sagay City. Ronilo Derder, one of the crew told Radyo Bandera Bacolod they were surprised when chased by Bantay Dagat and the policemen who fired shots across their bow, before shooting the steel plate of their vessel forcing them to stop out of fear of getting shot.
