BATAAN Gov. Jose Enrique “Joet” Garcia has given a P100,000 reward each to the 10 fishermen who turned over 222.6 kilos of shabu worth P1.5 billion they found two weeks ago off Mariveles town.
On Facebook, Garcia said the reward, which he handed over during a ceremony last Tuesday, was meant to recognize the “heroism” of the fishermen who did not ask for anything when they turned over the illegal drugs to authorities.
Garcia said the provincial government wanted to “repay their loyalty and bravery to serve as an inspiration to our countrymen.
“May this also serve as a reminder and example to all of us to continue doing the right thing because this will benefit not only our families but also the future generations,” said Garcia.
The PNP acknowledged the “gesture of appreciation” of the Bataan provincial government to the 10 fishermen.
It said the Central Luzon police regional office “recognized their honesty and patriotism by providing them with sacks of rice.”
The fishermen, from Barangay Sisiman in Mariveles, found the shabu floating last March 29. The shabu, placed in 10 sacks, were secured in a grounded barge and turned over to the Coast Guard last June 2.
Some 1,075 other kilos of shabu worth P6.5 billion were later found by 56 other fishermen off Pangasinan, Zambales and Ilocos Sur.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said the shabu found in the four provinces was dumped by Sam Gor, a five-drug triad alliance, operating in the Asia-Pacific region, hoping they would be recovered by their local contacts.
Fortunately, the shabu drifted to the coastal areas where they were later found by the fisher-men.
PNP chief Gen. Nicanor Torre III commended the fishermen for turning over the shabu to au-thorities.
“We salute these 66 fishermen whose brave and honest actions are a powerful example of what citizen cooperation can achieve,” said Torre.
“This historic series of voluntary turnovers sends a resounding message—that when the people and government stand united, criminal elements will find no sanctuary,” said Torre.
The PNP, in a statement, said the “extraordinary act of honesty and vigilance” of the fishermen reflects the growing public trust in the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.
“The turnover of such a massive volume of narcotics—voluntarily and without hesitation—sends a strong signal of shared responsibility in protecting our shores and communities,” it said.
“The PNP urges all citizens to emulate the courage and sense of duty demonstrated by the fish-ermen, whose actions will be remembered as a cornerstone of the country’s campaign against illegal drugs,” it added.
