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Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu inspects confiscated sulfur crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) and other species at the Biodiversity Management Bureau Wildlife Rescue Center in Quezon City in this March 2018 photo. DENR
THE GLOBAL health emergency made efforts to monitor and curb the lucrative illegal wildlife trade more challenging as fewer manpower could be deployed, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on March 3, observed as World Wildlife Day.
“The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has made it more difficult for us at the DENR to keep poachers and hunters at bay with less eyes and boots on the ground,” DENR Undersecretary Jim O. Sampulna said during the World Wildlife Day celebration on Wednesday.
Published February 22, 2021, 3:56 PM
Talk about earning “pogi points”.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu hailed on Monday, Feb. 22 the inter-agency task force dubbed Philippine Operations Group on Ivory and Illegal Wildlife or POGI for winning the prestigious Asia Environmental Enforcement Awards.
Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu (RTVM / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Cimatu described the award as a “testimony of the continuing commitment of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on upholding its mandate of protecting, conserving, and managing the environment and natural resources for the present and future generations.”
“This serves as another feather on the cap of the agency on environmental law enforcement,” the DENR chief said.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The DENR cited Bacoor City Municipal Trial Court conviction of Joselito Laygan last Dec. 10.
In February 2016, Laygan was caught in the act of selling cave resources without the necessary permits during an entrapment operation conducted by the Philippine Operations Group on Ivory and Illegal Wildlife (Task Force POGI), a composite team of wildlife enforcers from various agencies, including the Biodiversity Management Bureau, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Philippine National Police.
He was found guilty of violating Section 7 of Republic Act 9072, or the National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act.
(UNSPLASH / MANILA BULLETIN)
“The growing number of illegal trading cases prompts us to make environmental law enforcement as one of the priorities in the DENR,” DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said in a statement.
Last Nov. 20, the Pasay City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 48 convicted Jesse Camaro for illegally transporting 757 tarantulas with an estimated value of P310,900 and Customs duties and taxes amounting to P54,752.
Camaro was found guilty of violating Republic Act (RA) 9147 or the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act and sentenced to six months imprisonment and fined P20,000.
He was also fined P100,000 for violating Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Wildlife trader convicted for illegal shipment of 700 taratulas worth P311,000 in 2019 | Tempo – The Nation s Fastest Growing Newspaper tempo.com.ph - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tempo.com.ph Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.