Sino poachers to be freed in Palawan

The 122 Chinese poachers jailed for over six months in Puerto Princesa, Palawan for poaching in Tubbataha Reef will be freed and sent home soon after the Chinese ambassador agreed to the Filipino officials demand that the poachers plead guilty and pay the corresponding fines under the law.

"This will pave the way for their release," Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said, citing his meeting last Thursday with Chinese Ambassador Wang Chung Gui.

Perez said Wang gave in to their demand that the poachers should admit to their offenses, allow Philippine authorities to confiscate their six fishing vessels and pay the $50,000 (P244,000) fine (P2,000 per poacher).

Perez said his meeting with Wang was arranged by House Speaker Jose de Venecia. The six-month jail term for the poachers’ illegal possession of endangered species, Perez said, will be "credited" to their detention, which was actually more than six months.

Perez said he made it clear to Wang that the fines should be paid to the Puerto Princesa court, where the case is pending, not the DOJ.

Just after Perez and Wang reached an agreement on the 122 jailed Chinese poachers, 38 more Chinese fishermen were caught and charged with poaching in Philippine waters.

The new batch of Chinese poachers was arrested by a Navy patrol in El Nido, Palawan Thursday, just hours before the arrival in the country of the former Chinese premier, reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo said.

The report said a Navy ship was conducting maritime patrol operations when it spotted two Chinese fishing vessels 33 nautical miles off the El Nido shore. Aboard each boat were 19 fishermen. – Delon Porcalla and Paolo Rome