Fisherfolk in northern Iloilo were thankful to Congressman Raul “Boboy” Tupas for initiating the conduct of a dialogue with House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
During the dialogue at the Ayala Estate in Sicogon Island in the town of Carles, the fishermen raised their concern over the entry of commercial fishers in municipal waters.
According to them, commercial fishing in municipal waters, which have been known to be reserved for small-scale fishers, would have adverse effects on their livelihoods.
Romualdez assured the fishermen that he would exhaust all available legal remedies to overturn the August 2024 Supreme Court (SC) ruling.
“Kakausapin din natin yung abogado natin, yung OSG (Office of the Solicitor General), kaya siguradong aabot ito sa kinaaukulan. Meritorious naman, at siguro kailangan lang ipaabot natin sa mga mahistrado na ito talaga ang hinaing ng mga mangingisda,” he said.
The ruling upheld the decision of the Malabon Regional Trial Court allowing Mercidar Fishing Corp. to fish within municipal waters.
Romualdez was in Iloilo province to lead the groundbreaking ceremony for the P388-million Estancia-Manlot-Calagna-an-Sicogon Islands Submarine Cable Interconnection Project in the town.
Tupas also vowed to help address the “problem” being faced by the fishermen.
“Ginatinguhaan gid naton nga mapadasig ang paghatag sang solusyon sa problema sang mga fisherfolk nga gintuga sang nangin desisyun sang Korte,” he said.
