CITY OF SAN FERNANDO –– Two bird hunters have been arrested in Apalit town on Sunday, March 7, bringing to 10 the number of wildlife poachers caught in Pampanga since December last year.
The illegal hunting and killing of four wandering whistling ducks (locally known as batiki or Dendrocygna arcuata) in Sitio Tagulod in Barangay Sampaloc landed Fidel Aguilar, 59, and Ferdinand Tongol, 46, in jail, according to Master Sgt. Eduardo Gonzales, Apalit police investigator.
The suspects, both residents of the nearby town of San Simon, also in Pampanga, were arrested after tips provided by netizens, according to Laudemir Salac, head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the province.
Under the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001, the suspects would face jail time of a maximum of one year and a fine of P100,000.
In December, the Candaba police and DENR agents arrested six men for shooting and killing two Great Egrets.
Last Saturday, the police and DENR personnel apprehended four suspects for selling a large bayawak (Varanus marmoratus) in Guagua town.