This is what the Agri department said when asked about the fish in Taal Lake.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) responds to questions about the safety concerns in terms of eating fish from Taal Lake.
Julie Patidongan, alias “Totoy,” the whistleblower in the case of the missing sabungeros, claimed that those who disappeared were killed and dumped into the Taal Lake. He alleged that businessman Atong Ang is the mastermind and that before the sabungeros were dumped, a sandbag was tied to them to ensure that they sink into the depths.
With the thought that their dead bodies are in Taal Lake, the public raised concerns regarding the consumption of fish from the lake. Recently, the Department of Agriculture addressed the concerns of the people amid the search for the missing sabungeros.
DA Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa spoke before a press conference after the sales of fish coming from the lake decreased when the search started. There were accordingly posts being spread about avoiding eating fish from the lake, and he said that if there are really human remains in the lake, he assured that the quality of the fish will not be affected.
“Yung tawilis, ang kinakain nyan plankton. So hindi siya sumisisid sa ilalim para kumain ng kung anuman. Pangalawa, ang tilapia, caged. Ang kinakain niya ay commercial feeds. Pangatlo, yung maliputo na masarap na nahuhuli doon, ang kinakain niya buhay na isda. Hindi siya kumakain ng decaying matter,” he said.
Meanwhile, the prices of tilapia have gone up due to lower demand.
“Ang focus ngayon ng CALABARZON BFAR ay mawala yung fear ng doon sa pagkain ng mga isda na nahuhuli sa Taal lake,” he said and added that there are no talks to declare a state of calamity yet.
What can you say about this? Let us know in the comments!