Wildlife Traffickers Busted

Glan, Sarangani Province, 9 May 2017 – Three suspected traffickers of 58 exotic birds were apprehended in a joint operation of the Philippine National Police, Glan Municipal Police Office; Field Station Detachment of the Philippine Coast Guard; Naval Intelligence Security Group of the Philippine Navy and the DENR, in front of Glan overland terminal, around 9:00 PM, Sunday, May 7, 2017. The operation is an offshoot of a verified intelligence report.

When intercepted, the birds were placed and congested in two cages and loaded in a van accompanied by certain Norberto Dacillo Guiveces, of Barangay San Isidro, General Santos City; Edgar Suarez Batiao of Tagum City; and Jess Lomocso Donor with address at Tibungco, Davao City. The report disclosed that the birds were transshipped from a fishing bjoat to a van at Malabinuang, Davao Occidental. The birds were not accompanied by any document which is a violation of Republic Act 9147 (Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act).

Further verification reveals that the birds were Tanimbar corella (Cacatua goffiniana) also known as Goffin's cockatoo or Goffin's corella, a species of cockatoo endemic to forests of Yamdena, Larat and Selaru, all islands in the Tanimbar Islands archipelago in Indonesia. The species is included in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species. (Wenie G. Vergara and Niñolito Langomez /DENR – Glan, Sarangani)