Regions Briefs

Harvest now, Taal fish cage owners told

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Batangas province asked fish cage operators in Taal Lake to harvest their tilapia and “bangus” (milkfish) stocks as “sulfur upwelling” in the lake was seen to continue over the next couple of weeks. Jose Elmer Bascos, provincial environment and natural resources officer, said the fish kill this week had affected 28 cages, containing 30 metric tons of fish worth P6.8 million, at Barangay Sampaloc in Talisay town. The DENR said portions of the lake turn green to bluish in color, warning cage operators of sulfur upwelling. This is because toxic chemicals rise to the water surface, thus reducing the dissolved oxygen below the required level for marine animals to survive. Mario Balazon of the Taal Lake Aquaculture Alliance Inc. said some operators, who wanted to avoid further losses, had relocated their fish cages to areas in the lake not affected by the upwelling. —MARICAR CINCO

Cops kill fellow cop in Laguna drug bust

SAN PEDRO CITY—A policeman linked to illegal drug operations in Laguna province was killed in a shootout with fellow policemen in Sta. Cruz town on Friday. The slain policeman, PO3 Jennyson Serrano, was involved in drug pushing and provided protection to illegal drug dealers, said Senior Supt. Eleazar Matta, Laguna police director. Matta said Serrano had been under surveillance before the drug bust on Friday. Recovered from Serrano were plastic bags of “shabu” (crystal meth) worth about P400,000. —MARICAR CINCO