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Joint elements of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and Region 9 PNP have confiscated some 40 tons of endangered corals at a warehouse in Zamboanga City.
CIDG Director, Police Chief Superintendent Samuel D Pagdilao Jr. said that BFAR officials led by Atty. Asis Perez, the 9th Regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (9RCIDU) headed by Police Senior Superintendent Mario N. Rariza Jr. and some officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have conducted an inspection at the YUSCOM Hardware last Saturday, June 4, 2011 at Barangay San Roque, Zamboanga City where the seized items, which include black corals, red corals and banned shells, were confiscated. Also present during the search at the YUSCOM Hardware were PNP-RPO6 Regional Director, Police Chief Superintendent Elpidio De Asis and Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat. Pagdilao said that the confiscation of endangered corals at the YUSCOM Hardware was in support of BFAR, the primary agency mandated by the law to carry out campaign against illegal destruction of aquatic resources. Pagdilao said that prior to the inspection and confiscation of the endangered corals, Asis has deputized the CIDG as their partner agency in their campaign against illegal destruction of natural resources and the trade and trafficking of endangered aquatic resources. Pagdilao later designated Rariza to help Asis in the recovery and confiscation of the said items in Zamboanga City, the first joint operation to be carried out by the BFAR and the CIDG.Rariza said that the BFAR, who took custody of the seized corals, were still conducting inventory of all the confiscated items to determine the actual value, which he said would amount to millions of pesos. Rariza said that the seizure of the said endangered corals happened after the owner of the YUSCOM Hardware, a certain Benny Yu, voluntarily surrendered the items to the inspecting team.Rariza added that the corals and shells were confiscated in one of the warehouse at the back of YUSCOM Hardware that Yu owned. Yu alleged that the warehouse was being rented by Olivia Li and that all the confiscated items were owned by her. Rariza said that Li was earlier arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for possession and trading of endangered corals. Rariza said that at present, the inter-agency operatives involved in the seizure of the endangered corals and shells at YUSCOM Hardware are still discussing the proper procedures in the conduct of in-depth investigation and filing of cases. Rariza said that although Yu voluntarily surrendered the seized items, thereby preempting the authority’s application of search warrant in court yesterday, the inter-agency are still digging deeper into the possible involvement of Yu in the operation of Olivia Li and his liability for possessing the said illegal items. |
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