MANILA – The Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) is searching for witnesses who can corroborate an alleged online post on the supposed capture and killing of a civet cat or “musang” by reporting what they know about the incident and the identities of the perpetrators.
“We’re urging people with the information to contact us,” the bureau’s Wildlife Resources Division chief, Josefina de Leon, said, adding that such information would enable BMB to file charges against the perpetrators.
De Leon said civet cats are protected under Republic Act (RA) No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
The bureau, she said, is thankful to TV5 host Raffy Tulfo for informing them about the alleged online post.
A public notice released by BMB this month sought the identity of the person behind the killing and cooking of the “musang”.
It showed the picture of a person holding the “musang”.
People “who may have personal knowledge on the real identity and present residential address of the person whose picture appears herein” may contact BMB to share this information, the notice said, assuring that the identity of the informants “shall be dealt with strict confidentiality” by the bureau.
RA 9147, which covers all wildlife species found in the country, warns that it is unlawful for any person to kill and destroy wildlife species except in certain instances.
According to the law, these instances are when the killing was done as part of a tribal group’s established religious rituals, the wildlife is afflicted with an incurable communicable disease, it was necessary to end the wildlife’s misery, the wildlife poses imminent danger to a person’s life or limb, and after the wildlife was used in authorized research or experiments.
Violators face imprisonment, fines or both. (Catherine Teves/PNA)
