NCR cops eye 2-pronged strategy vs 'tainted' fish

Police in Metro Manila are considering a two-pronged strategy to prevent the entry of fish from fish kill-affected areas in Pangasinan and Batangas provinces into the metropolis. National Capital Region (NCR) police director Chief Superintendent Allan Purisima on Sunday said he has ordered fixed checkpoints at Metro Manila boundaries, as well as teams to help inspect markets. “Ang checkpoints natin fixed at iniiwasan ito ng may masasamang loob. Kaya meron tayong personnel sa palengke kaya nahuhuli rin ang mga ito," he said in an interview on dzBB radio. He said they continue to make efforts to make sure the tainted fish will not enter Metro Manila and endanger the health of consumers. Since last week, authorities have been on the lookout for tainted fish after a fish kill affected areas in Pangasinan and Batangas. Local governments in Metro Manila had seized several kilos of tainted fish during inspections in various markets. Purisima said he ordered police to back up some of these local government inspections, amid reports that some of the inspection teams had met stiff resistance. One such case involved an inspection by the Quezon City veterinary office last Friday, where a market staff member confronted the authorities and stopped them from seizing tainted fish. — LBG, GMA News