Police authorities yesterday arrested two men, a father and his son, upon learning that the suspects were keeping and manufacturing dynamites at their residence in Laoag City in the Northern Philippines.
The police identified the suspects as Domingo Clemente, 72, and his son Arnel Clemente.
A neighbouring resident alerted the police authorities that fishing dynamites were manufactured and kept at the residence of Clemente. The police personnel immediately responded to the scene and announced the arrest.
Police recovered materials used for dynamite fishing that includes blasting caps, wires, plastic bags containing ammonium nitrate and kerosene.
The duo immediately denied that those materials have been there for a long time and were not used for dynamite fishing or other illegal activities.
The elder Domingo said that he could not remember the true owner of those recovered illegal materials and they (dynamite materials) have been there for a long period of time.
Moreover, the young Domingo also said that he is no longer staying in his father's house for a couple of years and he is not aware of those fishing dynamite materials. However, Arnel later admitted that he used to manufacture fish dynamites before.
Philippine Laws prohibit the possession and use of fish dynamites as these can be hazardous not only to human beings but to marine resources as well. The use of dynamites has destroyed a number of fish habitats in the Philippines and subsequently reduced the number of fishes available to other fishermen.
