The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Wednesday assured to combat illegal wildlife trade following its seizure of PHP81,795 worth of exotic wildlife at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). In a statement, BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said the interception was made possible through its collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). “We are fully committed to eradicating illegal wildlife trading in our country. Our agencies will continue to work hand-in-hand to protect our precious wildlife and uphold the rule of law,” he said. The BOC-NAIA and DENR authorities seized around five heads of “Pacman’ frogs on Tuesday. These were misdeclared as accessories when the wildlife arrived in the country last July 31. The BOC said the frogs came from Malaysia and were consigned to a recipient in San Pedro, Laguna. Under Republic Act (RA) No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, and RA No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, the illegal trade of exotic wildlife is considered a “serious offense.” The BOC turned over the confiscated wildlife to the custody of the DENR for safekeeping.
Source: Philippines News Agency
