FYI: This is an OLD Article which was published last
August 22, 2015.
August 22, 2015.
TRAGIC END. Two months after she was freed by conservationists, Pamana's carcass was found near a creek in Mount Hamiguitan, supposedly her sanctuary. Photo courtesy of the Philippine Eagle Foundation
SHORT-LIVED FREEDOM. This is a photo of Pamana when she was set free on June 12, 2015. Photo by Pete Simpson
LOST NATIONAL TREASURE. Philippine eagle Pamana's carcass is found near a creek in Mount Hamiguitan on August 16, 2015. Photo by Philippine Eagle Foundation
By: Pia Ranada
The Philippine government will give P150,000 to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer of Pamana, the Philippine eagle found dead in Mount Hamiguitan Range in Davao Oriental.
Environment Secretary Ramon Paje made the announcement on Thursday, August 20, a day after Pamana's death was reported by news outlets.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Pamana. Those responsible for this barbaric act must be arrested and punished for committing this environmental crime,” said Paje in statement.
Those with information can contact 0947-611-6083, the hotline for illegal forest activities in Mount Hamiguitan.
Under Philippine laws, it is illegal to kill a Philippine eagle, one of the rarest birds in the world and now close to extinction with only 400 pairs left in the wild.
The person or persons responsible for Pamana's death face 6 to 12 years in prison, and a fine of P100,000 to P1 million.
This is on top of penalties for hunting in Mount Hamiguitan, a protected area declared by law. The crime is punishable by 6 years in prison and a fine of up to P500,000.
Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago wants to get to the bottom of the killing of Pamana, a critically-endangered Philippine eagle, in a Davao Oriental mountain range.
The senator intends to file a resolution on Monday, August 24, calling for an inquiry into the eagle's death in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mount Hamiguitan Range.
“There is a disconnect between the fact that Pamana was killed in Mount Hamiguitan, and the fact that the mountain range is a protected site. If we cannot protect wildlife in what we dare call protected areas, what kind of protection are we providing?” said the senator in a press release on Thursday, August 20.
Santiago had long wanted to investigate deaths of other Philippine eagles.
In 2013, she called for a probe into the death of Minalwang, a Philippine eagle shot dead in Mount Balatukan Range in Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental.
Last May, she also wanted a Senate inquiry into how kaingin (slash-and-burn farming) and other forest activities are contributing to the decline in Philippine eagle population on Samar Island.
Both resolutions have not been acted on by the Senate committee on environment and natural resources, which was formerly headed by Senator Loren Legarda. The committee is now headed by Senator Francis Escudero.
Santiago indicated that the accountability of local governments to Philippine eagle protection would be one angle to be pursued in the Senate probe.
“We must, on the one hand, empower local government units to strictly guard protected areas, and, on the other, make administratively liable local officials who grossly neglect to implement laws concerning protected areas,” she said.
Pamana, a 3-year-old Philippine eagle, was found shot dead on August 16 in the buffer zone of Mount Hamiguitan Range.
She was released into the wild only two months before, on Independence Day, after recovering from human-inflicted wounds in a Davao City rehabiliation center.
The national government is offering a P150,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Pamana's killer.
Those with information can contact 0947-611-6083, the hotline for illegal forest activities in Mount Hamiguitan.
Local authorities are conducting an investigation into the matter.
Philippine eagles are close to extinction, with only 400 pairs left in the wild. They are threatened by loss of habitat due to deforestation, poaching, and the illegal wildlife trade. – Rappler.com
A critically-endangered Philippine eagle just recently released into the wild was found shot dead in Mount Hamiguitan Range, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Davao Oriental.
The eagle, named "Pamana (Legacy)" by conservationists, was found with a bullet hole in her right breast that shattered her left shoulder, said Dennis Salvador, Executive Director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation.
A metal fragment believed to be from a shattered gun pellet was also found in the carcass.
Scientists from PEF found her body on August 16 after the tracker they had outfitted her with went into mortality mode – a signal that she was dead.
Her body was already decomposing when they found it near a creek below thick forests.
PEF released Pamana into the wild only in June 12, in honor of Philippine Independence Day. She was around 3 years old at the time of her death. The site where she was found was only one kilometer from where they had released her, said Salvador.
The senator intends to file a resolution on Monday, August 24, calling for an inquiry into the eagle's death in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mount Hamiguitan Range.
“There is a disconnect between the fact that Pamana was killed in Mount Hamiguitan, and the fact that the mountain range is a protected site. If we cannot protect wildlife in what we dare call protected areas, what kind of protection are we providing?” said the senator in a press release on Thursday, August 20.
Santiago had long wanted to investigate deaths of other Philippine eagles.
In 2013, she called for a probe into the death of Minalwang, a Philippine eagle shot dead in Mount Balatukan Range in Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental.
Last May, she also wanted a Senate inquiry into how kaingin (slash-and-burn farming) and other forest activities are contributing to the decline in Philippine eagle population on Samar Island.
Both resolutions have not been acted on by the Senate committee on environment and natural resources, which was formerly headed by Senator Loren Legarda. The committee is now headed by Senator Francis Escudero.
Santiago indicated that the accountability of local governments to Philippine eagle protection would be one angle to be pursued in the Senate probe.
My note: I will repost my previous article about Philippine eagle.
“We must, on the one hand, empower local government units to strictly guard protected areas, and, on the other, make administratively liable local officials who grossly neglect to implement laws concerning protected areas,” she said.
Pamana, a 3-year-old Philippine eagle, was found shot dead on August 16 in the buffer zone of Mount Hamiguitan Range.
She was released into the wild only two months before, on Independence Day, after recovering from human-inflicted wounds in a Davao City rehabiliation center.
The national government is offering a P100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Pamana's killer.
Those with information can contact 0947-611-6083, the hotline for illegal forest activities in Mount Hamiguitan.
Local authorities are conducting an investigation into the matter.
Philippine eagles are close to extinction, with only 400 pairs left in the wild. They are threatened by loss of habitat due to deforestation, poaching, and the illegal wildlife trade. – Rappler.com
credit and source: http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/environment/103199-pamana-philippine-eagle-death-reward
http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/environment/103217-miriam-santiago-probe-pamana-philippine-eagle-death
http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/environment/103080-philippine-eagle-pamana-shot-mount-hamiguitan
My note: I will repost my previous article about our Philippine eagle...
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