BY AARON B. RECUENCO
A revisit to a pre-nuptial photo shoot venue proved to be a forgettable one for a couple.
For trespassing on the Taal Volcano Island, which was already declared as a “no man’s land” due to its imminent eruption, the couple was arrested Tuesday, the police said.
Col. Rex Arvin T. Malimban, director of the Batangas Provincial Police Office, warned the public against this kind of dangerous adventure, saying those who would defy the public safety measures for the Taal Volcano will also be arrested.
The couple and another 23-year-old man, based on police report, are residents of the Tanauan City in Batangas.
They are now facing cases relating to violation of an order against any human activity on protected areas and areas declared as danger zones, and disobedience to person in authority.
Worse, the couple tagged along two minors, aged 17 and 14, during their adventure.
“They told our investigators that they just went to the Taal Volcano Island to check on the condition of the areas where they held the photo shoot for their pre-nup (two years ago). In fact, one of them was actually doing a live video footage on social media,” said Malimban.
“This is very dangerous especially that it was the same day that the Phivolcs (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) declared Alert Level 2 over Taal Volcano,” he added.
The Taal Volcano Island was home to hundreds of families but was cleared of people after the eruption in January last year.
Last month, scores of local residents were forcibly taken out of the Volcano Island, locally referred to as Pulo, as some of them went back.
Malimban said they have been in constant coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard to keep people away from the Volcano Island.
