LANECO supervisor Sotore M. Vicoy, Jr. and his staff unceremoniously and forcibly removed the transformers, with the  assistance of the Chief of Police of the PNP Police Station of Kauswagan. The presence of the police caused fear on the persons and caretakers of the BFAR hatchery in said town, so that they were not able to stop the LANECO officials from carrying out their determined move to remove the transformers. It appears that there was no court order warranting the retrieval of the transformers by LANECO.

The hatchery is a vital project of BFAR in the enhancement of quality fish seedling production in Lanao del Norte. In order to achieve its fingerlings production BFAR needs electricity.  The  forcible removal of said transformers from the hatchery therefore greatly affected the operation of the hatchery in Kauswagan town where there are numerous fishermen-beneficiaries of BFAR and Provincial Government fisheries projects.

            In said letter written by the BFAR Regional Director, it was learned that the caretaker of the hatchery reported that he pleaded for proper procedure by LANECO’s pull-out by way of informing  the BFAR Regional  Office first and to hold in abeyance the execution of the order of the Manager of LANECO until an official notice of the pull-out shall have been issued by LANECO  to  BFAR. The caretaker likewise called for assistance on what action to take from his supervisor, the PFO-designate of Lanao del Norte. The latter likewise asked assistance from the OIC of BFAR-10 at that time but their requests for reconsideration of the said action fell on LANECO’s deaf ears.

            Regional Director Visa Tan-Dimerin is quoted as stating in the letter to Mr. Resnol Torres that: “We find the action to your staff and the PNP Police improper and despicable, hence this letter, to officially put on record our objection and complaint against such action.” (PIO-JMP)