2 wildlife traders get 4 years

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has scored another legal victory against traders of endangered wildlife species.

Jomar Toledo and Rompas Lumakore were found guilty of violating Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, Municipal Trial Court Presiding Judge Semiramis Bituin Castro said in a decision released recently.

RA 9147 prohibits killing, injuring, collection, sale and transport of threatened and endangered wildlife species.

Toledo and Lumakore were also ordered to pay a fine of P30,000 each.

The two were arrested in a raid on a warehouse in Barangay Dahican, Mati City that yielded wildlife species with a market value of more than P50 million.

At least 450 species of bird, mammals and reptiles, including the black palm cockatoos and Echidna, were recovered.

“It is our mandate to give justice to the voiceless wildlife species that are incessantly being used for personal gains,” DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said as he hailed the court ruling.

Last April, the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 36 convicted wildlife trader Harriet Shelley Velarde, who was caught selling a live green iguana in July 2018, of violating RA 9147.

Velarde was sentenced to up to two years in prison. She was also ordered to pay a fine of P200,000.