THE latest arrest of four suspects in an illegal fuel transfer operation in Navotas proves one thing: the decades-old “paihi” operation in the CAMANAVA area is far from over.
While routine police patrols continue to produce results, the repeated discovery of these illegal activities suggests that more needs to be done where the operations actually begin — the waters of Navotas and Malabon.
For years, these coastal areas have allegedly been used as staging points for unauthorized fuel transfers.
The pattern has become too consistent to ignore. Every successful operation should convince authorities that the solution is not only on land but also at sea.
If Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. truly wants to put an end to the long-running “paihi” operation in Navotas, Malabon and the rest of CAMANAVA, then the surrounding waters must be under constant police watch.
Regular maritime patrols, backed by intelligence gathering and close coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard and other enforcement agencies, can make it far more difficult for illegal operators to move petroleum products unnoticed.
The objective should go beyond arresting those caught in the act. Authorities must identify the organizers, financiers, protectors and the entire network that has allowed this illegal trade to survive for decades.
Only by cutting off their access to the coastline can law enforcement truly dismantle the operation.
The sea has long been the gateway for these illegal activities. It is time for it to become the frontline of enforcement instead.
Guard the waters day and night, deny criminals room to operate and the decades-old “paihi” operation may finally become part of history rather than a recurring headline.
