Candaba, Pampanga—Six bird hunting enthusiasts were hauled to jail after they were caught in the act shooting to death two great egrets at the Candaba Swamp in Barangay Paligui here Thursday.
Police Lt. Colonel Efren David Jr., chief of Candaba police, identified the suspects as Jaime Buenaventura, Pablo Cunanan, Jose Carlo Dizon, Michael Gamos, Vicente Pangan and Rodrigo Canlas, all from Barangay San Joaquin in Sta. Ana, Pampanga.
David said the suspects are known bird hunters frequenting the Candaba Swamp, a 32,000-hectare haven of migratory birds coming from Asia and other parts of the globe.
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office chief Laudemir Salac said residents in the community tipped-off the police on the presence of bird hunters leading to the arrest of the suspects and confiscation of hunting rifles and wounded birds.
The local government unit here and PENRO declared Candaba Swamp as protected area. Bird hunters have been prohibited there. Only bird watchers and photographers could get inside the protected zone.
“It is very clear that killing and destroying of wildlife species is illegal and punishable against our wildlife law. We will not tolerate this incident even during this pandemic to protect our migratory birds and other wildlife species since they are vital components of our environment,” said Salac.
He said that protection and conservation of wildlife including birds is particularly important to maintain a well-balanced ecosystem.
David said that four units of oxygen-powered air rifles, three pieces of carbon dioxide (CO2) tank, 37 pieces of air gun pellets and two species of dead Great egrets were seized from the suspects.
The suspects are now under the custody of the Candaba PNP while criminal charges are being prepared for violation of Section 27 of Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources and Conservation and Protection Act of 2001, and Provincial Ordinance No. 756 in relation to Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act of 2018, for not wearing a face mask.
If found guilty, the suspects may be imprisoned for a maximum of six months and be fine with P100,000.
Salac appealed to the public to report to the nearest DENR Office in their area any illegal hunting and wildlife trade or contact the DENR hotline at 09453685303.
Great egret also known as Ardea alba are among migratory bird species in the Candaba swamp which is also found in Africa, America, and southern Europe.
Candaba swamp has been identified as one of the three “most important wetlands” in the Philippines and has consistently been listed in the Asian Bird Map is an important wintering area for migratory birds.
DENR records show that there are 54 species of resident birds and 68 migratory birds recorded in Candaba wetlands since 1940. Last year, more than 2,000 birds were recorded during the Asian Waterbirds Census.
Migratory birds from as far as China, Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand prefer the Candaba Swamp as a wintering refuge, feeding, and breeding in the area from October to March to escape the cold winter.