ENVIRONMENT Secretary Jose Atienza Jr. on
Tuesday ordered the filing of charges against a hunter who shot
and wounded a sea eagle in Bataan province.
Atienza reiterated his call for the
preservation of endangered birds as he thanked a former soldier
who rescued the sea eagle in Bataan.
"I have instructed our regional officials to
find out the identity of the shooter and file charges against
him immediately," he said in a statement.
He thanked village officials who gave
first-aid treatment to the sea eagle before turning it over to
the DENR officials in Bataan.
The Philippine Wildlife Resources
Conservation and Protection Act states that any person who kills
and destroys a critically endangered species may face up to 12
years imprisonment and/or a fine of P100,000 to P1 million.
Last Aug. 8, former soldier Joel Tacardon
found the sea eagle bleeding in a cogon field in the mountain
village of Duale in Limay, Bataan.
Tacardon found a gunshot wound in its left
wing. Realizing that it could be an endangered bird, he quickly
brought it to Basilio Sadsad, Duale's chief of barangay tanod.
Mila Ramirez, DENR's wildlife officer in
Bataan, identified the bird as a young sea eagle.
A wingspan of the bird measured two feet. Its
claws were closed, an indication that the eagle was weak,
Ramirez said.
Provincial veterinarian Alberto Venturina
advised that the bird be treated fully before being released
into the wilds.
Ramirez said they will bring the sea eagle shortly to the
DENR-Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau's Rescue Center in
Quezon City.
