RELEASE OF WILD ANIMALS. Personnel of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Bacolod City and Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Community Environment and Natural Resources (Cenro)-Bago City prepare to release the recovered wildlife species back to their natural habit in a portion of the Northern Negros Forest Park on Saturday (June 6, 2020). The wild animals were seized from three suspects during an entrapment operation in Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City. (Photo courtesy of CIDG-Bacolod City Field Unit)
BACOLOD CITY – Three residents of Negros Occidental are facing charges after they were found possessing more than 300 wild animals during an entrapment operation in this city.
Chief Master Sgt. Ramiro Gocotano, officer-in-charge of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Bacolod, said on Monday they are collating more documents from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR) for the filing of charges against the suspects.
“We will file it this week once the supporting documents are completed,” Gocotano told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in a telephone interview.
The suspects identified as Ramil Cabale, 45; Dexter Belleza, 36; and Ruzzel Taghoy, 36, all residents of Barangay Minoyan in Murcia town, will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001.
Over the weekend, the three were released from detention after the 12-hour reglementary period lapse, following their arrest in Barangay Alijis here on Friday afternoon.
According to the CIDG-Bacolod report, the suspects failed to show pertinent documents authorizing them to possess or sell the seized wildlife species.
They were arrested after receiving PHP150,000 in “boodle money” from the supposed buyer. The amount was the dealers’ “asking price” for all the wild animals.
A separate report of the DENR’s Community Environment and Natural Resources (Cenro)-Bago City on Saturday stated that the Murcia residents were caught possessing more than 300 wild animals believed to have been taken from Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park.
Among those found in the suspects’ possession were Philippine orange tarantula, juvenile Philippine sailfin lizards, Negros Forest dragon lizard, North Philippine temple pit vipers, assorted centipedes and millipedes.
Some of the animals were already dead when these were retrieved, including an Asian palm civet, a sailfin lizard, and three Negros Forest dragons. The carcasses were buried on the grounds of the Cenro office in Bago City.
On Saturday morning, CIDG and DENR personnel released the remaining wildlife species back to their natural habitat in a portion of the Northern Negros Forest Park. (PNA)
