Did you know that it is punishable under RA 9147 or the Wildlife Act of 2001
to hunt, kill, illegally collect, possess and traffic wildlife?
Report illegal wildlife trade by calling (+632) 9258953 or emailing
pogienforcement@gmail.com.
RA 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act provides that
the following are illegal acts:
It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully and knowingly exploit wildlife
resources and their habitats, or undertake the following acts:
- (a) killing and destroying wildlife species, except in the following instances;
(i) when it is done as part of the religious rituals of established tribal groups or
indigenous cultural communities;
(ii) when the wildlife is afflicted with an incurable communicable disease;
(iii) when it is deemed necessary to put an end to the misery suffered by the wildlife;
(iv) when it is done to prevent an imminent danger to the life or limb of a human being; and
(v) when the wildlife is killed or destroyed after it has been used in authorized research or experiments. - inflicting injury which cripples and/or impairs the reproductive system of wildlife species;
- effecting any of the following acts in critical habitat(s):
(i) dumping of waste products detrimental to wildlife;
(ii) squatting or otherwise occupying any portion of the critical habitat;
(iii) mineral exploration and/or extraction;
(iv) burning;
(v) logging; and
(vi) quarrying - introduction, reintroduction or restocking of wildlife resources;
- trading of wildlife;
- collecting, hunting or possessing wildlife, their by-products, and derivatives;
- gathering or destroying of active nests, nest trees, host plants and the like;
- maltreating and/or inflicting other injuries not covered by the preceding paragraph;
- transporting of wildlife.
RA 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act provides that
for any person who kills and destroys wildlife species, the following penalties
and/or fines shall be imposed:
- imprisonment of a minimum of six (6) years and one (1) day to twelve (12) years and/or a fine of One hundred thousand pesos (100,000.00) to One million pesos (1,000,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against species listed as critical;
- imprisonment of four (4) years and one (1) day to six (6) years and/or a fine of Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) to Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against endangered species;
- imprisonment of two (2) years and one (1) day to four (4) years and/or a fine of Thirty thousand pesos (P30,000.00) to Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against vulnerable species;
- imprisonment of one (1) year and one (1) day to two (2) years and/or a fine of Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) to Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against other threatened species
- imprisonment of six (6) months and one (1) day to one (1) year and/or a fine of Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) to One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against other wildlife species.
Anyone inflicting injury which cripples and/or impairs the reproductive system of wildlife species, the following penalties and/or fines shall be imposed:
- imprisonment of a minimum of four (4) years and one (1) day to six (6) years and/or a fine of Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) to Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against species listed as critical;
- imprisonment of two (2)years and one (1) day to four (4) years and/or a fine of Thirty thousand pesos (P30,000.00) to Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against endangered species;
- imprisonment of one (1) year and one (1) day to two (2) years and/or a fine of Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) to Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against vulnerable species;
- imprisonment of six (6) months and one (1) day to one (1) year and/or a fine of Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) to Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against other threatened species;
- imprisonment of one (1) month to six (6) months and/or a fine of Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) to Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against other wildlife species.
For illegal acts under paragraphs 3 and 4 of the immediately preceding section, an imprisonment of one (1) month to eight (8) years and/or a fine of Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) to Five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) shall be imposed.
For illegal Illegal trading of wildlife, the following penalties and/or fines shall
be imposed:
- imprisonment of two (2) years and one (1) day to four (4) years and/or a fine of Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) to Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against species listed as critical;
- imprisonment of one (1) year and one (1) day to two (2) years and/or a fine of Two thousand pesos (P2,000.00) to Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00) if inflicted or undertaken against endangered species;
- imprisonment of six (6) months and one (1) day to one (1) year and/or a fine of One thousand pesos (P1,000.00) to One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against vulnerable species;
- imprisonment of one (1) month and one (1) day to six (6) months and/or a fine of Five hundred pesos (P500.00) to Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against species listed as other threatened species;
- imprisonment of ten (10) days to one (1) month and/or a fine of Two hundred pesos (P200.00) to Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against other wildlife species.
For collecting, hunting or possessing wildlife, their by-products and derivatives;
or gathering or destroying of active nests, nest trees, host plants and the like,
the following penalties and/or fines shall be imposed:
- imprisonment of two (2) years and one (1) day to four (4) years and a fine of Thirty thousand pesos (P30,000.00) to Three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against species listed as critical;
- imprisonment of one (1) year and one (1) day to two (2) years and a fine of Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00) to Two hundred thousand pesos (P200,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against endangered species;
- imprisonment of six (6) months and one (1) day to one (1) year and a fine of Ten thousand pesos (P10,000.00) to One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against vulnerable species;
- imprisonment of one (1) month and one (1) day to six (6) months and a fine of Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) to Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against species listed as other threatened species;
- imprisonment of ten (10) days to one (1) month and a fine of One thousand pesos (P1,000.00) to Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00), if inflicted or undertaken against other wildlife species:
Provided, That in case of collecting, hunting or possessing wildlife, their by-products, and derivatives where the acts were perpetuated through the means of inappropriate techniques and devices, the maximum penalty herein provided shall be imposed.
All wildlife, its derivatives or by-products, and all paraphernalia, tools and
conveyances used in connection with violations of this Act, shall be ipso facto
forfeited in favor of the government:
Where the ownership of the aforesaid conveyances belong to third persons who has no
participation in or knowledge of the illegal acts, the same may be released to said owner.
The apprehending agency shall immediately cause the transfer of all wildlife that
have been seized or recovered to the nearest Wildlife Rescue Center of the Department
in the area.
If the offender is an alien, he shall be deported after service of sentence and payment of fines, without any further proceedings.
The fines prescribed shall be increased by at least ten percent (10%) every three
(3) years to compensate for inflation and to maintain the deterrent function of
such fines.
You may want to read: