Two local tourists and a banker were arrested after sneaking into the main crater of Taal Volcano Island which was raised to alert level 2 on Tuesday.
They passed through the town of Balete in a small boat with 3 minor nephews.
According to the arrested residents of Tanauan City, they only wanted to visit Taal Volcano where they had a prenup in 2017 before returning to Italy.
Due to the couple, they were only on the volcano island for a while, but according to the police, they were able to Facebook live 3 more times in the main crater and were caught leaving the volcano.
The 3 will be charged in the Batangas Provincial Prosecutor’s Office after violating the law prohibiting going to the declared prohibited protected area and disobedience charges.
The 3 minors are in the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
In the past 24-hour period, the Taal Volcano Network recorded fifty-one (51) volcanic earthquakes, including forty-one (41) episodes of volcanic tremor having durations of one (1) to four (4) minutes.
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6 arrested for visiting main crater of Taal Volcano
Activity at the Main Crater consisted of weak emission of steam-laden plumes from fumarolic vents that rose 5 meters high. Temperature highs of 71.8°C and pH of 1.59 were last measured from the Main Crater Lake respectively on 04 March and 12 February 2021.
Ground deformation parameters from electronic tilt, continuous GPS and InSAR data analysis indicated a very slow and steady inflation and expansion of the Taal region since after the January 2020 eruption.
Alert Level 2 (Increased Unrest) is maintained over Taal Volcano. DOST-PHIVOLCS reminds the public that at Alert Level 2, sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall, and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur and threaten areas within the Taal Volcano Island (TVI).
DOST-PHIVOLCS strongly recommends that entry into TVI, Taal’s Permanent Danger Zone or PDZ, especially the vicinities of the Main Crater and the Daang Kastila fissure, must remain strictly prohibited.
Local government units are advised to continuously assess and strengthen the preparedness of previously evacuated barangays around Taal Lake in case of renewed unrest.