Source : Business World, Philippines,  07 Feb '10
By : Joel B. Escovilla
  

Joint operatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) placed the total value of species, allegedly shipped from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, at around P3.2 million.

Among the rescued birds were Palm Cockatoos valued at P50,000 each; Birds of Paradise valued at P75,000 each; Black Lories selling for P18,000 each; Yellow-crested Cockatoos and Black-caped Lories at P15,000 each, among others.

On Friday, authorities formally sued suspected smugglers identified as Mike and Felina Artucilla, Catalino Gabrinto, Jose Marie Justan, Warren Aguilar, Roger Abria, Menira Maulana and the Indonesian Billy Kawekes before the City Prosecution Office for violation of Republic Act (RA) 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

The rescued animals were turned over to the Davao Crocodile Park, owned by Dizon Agro Industrial, Inc., for custody and safekeeping because the regional environment office does not have an available wildlife center to house rescued animals. Davao Crocodile Park is a registered wildlife facility of the DENR.

Regional Director Jim O. Sampulna and Ernesto D. Adobo, Jr., assistant secretary for field operations in Mindanao, received a directive from Environment Acting Secretary Eleazar P. Quinto to monitor the condition of the seized endangered species.

Mr. Quinto in his order said the protection of endangered species is necessary to maintain ecological balance and enhance biodiversity.

The Bureau of Animal Industry of the Department of Agriculture is testing all the rescued birds to make sure they are free of the avian flu virus.

The Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act was enacted to conserve and protect wildlife species and their habitats, regulate the trade of wildlife and initiate or support scientific studies on the conservation of biological diversity.

Southeast Asia remains very vulnerable to wildlife trading, based on a report of the Program Coordination Unit of the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network, comprising of police, customs and environment agencies in the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

From July 1 to Sept. 30, 2009 -- the latest available data -- the group monitored 7,785 live animals rescued by authorities, surpassing the 5,296 recorded the previous quarter.