By Jean Fernando
About 300 endangered and exotic species worth P10 million were rescued by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) during a raid on a house in San Gregorio Village, Pasay City, Monday night.
The NBI said the owner of the house identified as Abrahan Bernales and his three caretakers, Joner Bawente, Nestor Turion, and Jose Sandigan, were arrested when the team conducted the raid at about 10 p.m.
Lawyer Czar Eric Nuqui, chief of the NBI-Environmental Crime Division, said that prior to the operation, they received an information about wildlife trafficking in Pasay City.
Nuqui said that after verifying the information, they immediately conducted a buy-bust operation. One of the operatives acted as a buyer who was able to purchase a black palm cockatoo amounting to P100,000.
He said that during the raid, they found different species of sulphur-crested cockatoo, moluccan and black palm originated from Indonesia placed in a cage inside one of the rooms in the house.
The agents also rescued sugar gliders, three juvenile ostrich, and two kangaroos.
According to Rogelio Demelletes Jr. of the DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau, the house owner has no license and permit to sell such endangered and exotic animals and those rescued were not properly taken cared off.
The rescued animals were brought to the rescue center of the DENR in Quezon City and will be quarantined.
