A TAWI-TAWI health official and his team are facing criminal charges for the alleged smuggling of more than 5,000 eggs of the endangered marine turtle, locally known as “pawikan,” from Turtle Islands, a protected wildlife sanctuary in the southern province of Tawi-Tawi.
Action for Good Governance lawyer Restituto Mendoza filed a complaint against Dr. Sangkula Laja and his team, adding that Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial should also be charged for protecting the officials after they were caught with the contraband eggs.
The eggs were hidden in five carton boxes and only became visible when Laja personally distributed the eggs to his staff aboard a Navy vessel.
“Instead of the mandatory filing of the necessary criminal charges against her erring subordinates, Ubial asked Environment Secretary Gina Lopez for clemency for Laja and his team,” the lawyer said.
“The utter disregard of the law by Ubial and invocation of clemency before a co-equal department of government are acts that cause undue injury to the public and the environment,” he said, adding that Lopez has no power to grant clemency to the alleged violators.
Mendoza said mere possession of endangered species and its derivatives, such as the eggs of the marine turtles, is punishable under Republic Act 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, and violators face a jail term of up to six years and fines of up to P500,000.
Mendoza said Ubial’s action on the matter only amounted to endorsing Laja’s explanation to Lopez, accompanied by a request for clemency.