BOMBER WRECKAGE—An American, Justin Taylan (center), views photos
of parts of a World War II vintage bomber found last week in the bottom of
the Lingayen Gulf when he came to the city hall where he talked to Police
Chief OIC Noli Taliño, Waste Management Chief Reginaldo Ubando and
Pugaro Barangay Captain Florencio Victrorio.
This was the reaction of the diver who discovered the sunken warplane amid
the "word war" that erupted between the local government units
here and in Dagupan City as to the ownership of the wreckage of World War
II American warplane that was found at the river of Sabangan here.
Freddie Villanueva, 29, of barangay Alacan, San Fabian town, said he wants
recognition. He wants his picture and video taken at the discovery site to
show to all that it was he who first discovered this controversial historical
item. The "discovery" incident became a hot news in the local radio
stations in Pangasinan for the past several days.
Villanueva felt ¦jealous¦ why more media mileage was given
to the Pugaro fishermen and other officials when it was he who discovered
the plane. So he took matters into his hands and started Wednesday to go
to various radio stations to make his point.
Villanueva, together with two other fishermen, were fishing on June 27 at
10 a.m. when they discovered the wreckage. He sought the help of more than
20 other fishermen from barangay Pugaro, Dagupan City to pull the heavy item
buried about 20 feet below the water in the river.
Elements of Dagupan City police station eventually got the pilot mask and
skeletal bones. This prompted them to seek help from the Binmaley police last
July 7. It was then when the debate on the ownership of the plane immediately
ensued.
Subsequently, the two police chiefs Superintendents Paquito Navarrete and
Noli Taliño of Binmaley and Dagupan respectively, also found themselves
entangled in the 'word war'. The police chiefs' issue rested
on the standard operating procedure of the police before operating in the
jurisdiction of another police station.
Villanueva, a reservist of the Philippine Army, said he has incurred expenses
for the retrieval of the ruins. Claiming to be an international licensed
diver with about 10 years experience in open water diving, he wants to dive
again in the discovery site as there are other parts left there. But, he
this time he wants full media coverage.
Meanwhile said he is not quarreling with Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim
who called a press conference last Friday threatened to sue Binmaley Mayor
Simplicio Rosario. Both mayors claim they want to preserve history and fight
for what is due them. While the wreckage, the pilot mask and the bones are
in possession of the Dagupan police, the diver is left nothing except debts
to pay.
Villanueva said he incurred about P100,000 expenses for its retrieval, part
of it was advanced from a junk shop owner. Villanueva said he hopes the US
government would join the fray and perhaps give him a finder's reward.
-EVA
