ZAMBOANGA City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has instructed the Task Force Pantalan to check on all existing private wharves or piers operating in the city without legal documents and to file appropriate charges against operators not complying with the law.
Salazar said she has signed the order authorizing Task Force members to make the rounds of the different existing wharves in order to check on their legal documents.
Salazar said local government units has been directed by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to launch a crackdown against illegally-operating wharves and piers in the light of reports that some illegal piers are used as entry points for insurgents and smuggled goods.
Salazar also directed City Police Acting Director Luisito Magnaye to thoroughly investigate the circumstances that led to the fire incident in a motor launch, M/L Satellite, while docked at a private wharf in Baliwasan, Monday night, killing five people and wounding four others.
M/L Satellite caught fire when the boat’s chief mechanic switched on the generator while they were filling up around 100 drums of gasoline and 10 gallons of diesel from a parked fuel tanker. (VoxPop Philippines)
