The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) has filed an administrative case against a Manila-based fish importer for misdeclaration and diversion of some P1.9 million worth of galunggong (round scad) from China. Dr. Nilo Katada, chief of the DA-BFAR Fisheries Inspection and Quarantine Division, said they filed the case on Thursday against Hightower Inc. for violating Section 105 of the amended Fisheries Code. According to Katada, they filed the case following a report by the Bureau of Customs of an alleged diversion of two refrigerated container vans tracked through the Global Positioning System or GPS devices attached to the containers.

Gomez, E. J. (2021, February 14). Fish importer faces raps for diverting funds. The Manila Times, p. A3.