Villar urges gov’t to strengthen wildlife conservation, protection mechanisms
SENATOR Cynthia A. Villar is seeking to strengthen the country’s wildlife conservation and protection mechanisms due to constant exploitation of wild fauna and their habitats raising the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.
“There were studies suggesting that COVID-19 virus may have originated from bats and that the first people infected were traders in bat meat, who may have subsequently visited the Huanan seafood market, where the virus spread was first traced,” Villar said.
Villar stressed there is more reason now to strengthen the policies on wildlife conservation and protection.
Despite the existence of RA No. 9147 for more than 20 years, the senator said the incidence of wildlife crimes still thrives since they have evolved and grown.
The trade and transport of wildlife species have become wide scale and transnational in nature since those involved in wildlife crimes continue to innovate.
Villar’s proposed Senate Bill 125 or the Revised Wildlife Resource Conservation and Protect Act seeks to address among others, the evolving nature of wildlife offenses and fortify the mechanisms in place to afford better protection to our wildlife resources.
The bill also aims to amend RA No. 9147 including among others: the jurisdiction of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) and the Bangsamoro government over wildlife species in their respective territories; the crime of “wildlife trafficking” by providing its definition and commensurate penalties, and other strategies to deter the devious schemes of wildlife syndicates that are large-scale and transnational; the definition of “wildlife laundering”; control and management mechanism for invasive alien species that threatens the survival of local plants and animals; guidelines on the collection, possession, and transport of wildlife, its by-products, and derivatives; increase in the penalties (imprisonment and/or fines) for illegal acts to serve as a deterrent for the commission of wildlife crimes . Camille P. Balagtas
