File charges vs eagle killer Zubiri

DAVAO CITY – Sen. Miguel Zubiri urged the filing of charges against Brian Bala-on, a Lumad farmer in Mt. Kitanglad, Bukidnon, who admitted killing a Philippine eagle, an endangered bird that was raised in captivity and was recently released in the wild by the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF).

PEF Executive Director Dennis Salvador said Zubiri, who hails from Bukidnon, called him up and suggested that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) should file charges against Bala-on even though he is a Lumad.

“Senator Zubiri expressed support for the efforts of the PEF and he asked the necessary charges be filed immediately,” Salvador said.

There are only less than 1,000 Philippine Eagles remaining in the forests in Mindanao, Leyte and Samar.

The PEF, a non-profit organization, has kept at least 34 birds that have been bred in captivity at the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, Calinan district, this city.

The PEF kept track of the slain eagle nicknamed “Kagsabua,” a tribal word meaning unity through radio transmitter attached to the bird’s body when it was released four months ago in the vicinity of the Mt. Kitanglad Natural Park.

PEF personnel lost track of the signal from Kagsabua and they later concluded that the eagle was already dead.

Residents had spotted Bala-on, a 22-year-old vegetable farmer, carrying an air gun at the farm where the eagle was shot. He later confessed to have killed the eagle and made bird soup.

Bala-on buried the eagle’s transmitter in a steep ravine while a few meters away the eagle’s feathers were found by investigators.

Salvador said Bala-on, who is now in the custody of the Mt. Kitanglad Natural Park personnel, was actually turned over by tribal leaders in the area.

“We will definitely file charges against him to show people we are really serious in our conservation efforts,” Salvador said.

This will be a test case for the enforcement of Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Act.

Corresponding penalties, including imprisonment of up to 12 years shall be meted on whoever would be found guilty of killing endangered species like the Philippine eagle, one of the world’s largest eagles.

Salvador said Bala-on had no way out then because all the other tribal members were already pressuring him to surrender. “They knew it was him until he had to surrender himself,” Salvador said.

Meanwhile, a vegetable breeding company has adopted a baby eagle at the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City.

The Allied Botanical Corp. (ABC) named the six-month-old eaglet “Bighani,” after the Bighani Super Sweet Corn F1 variety that the company had developed. The variety is the first Filipino-bred super sweet corn in the country.

Willy Co, ABC president and general manager, and PEF executive director Salvador signed a memorandum of agreement stipulating the company’s adoption of the rare bird. The signing was witnessed PEF Deputy Director Domingo Tadona and ABC marketing manager Virnel Ventura.

Any person or firm that adopts a Philippine eagle at the eagle center has the privilege to give the name of the bird that it adopts.

For instance, Vice President Noli de Castro has named the eagle he has adopted as “Kabayan,” his popular moniker.

Many other individuals and companies have adopted eagles in the foundation.

Brass plaques of the donors are now permanently displayed near the entrance of the PEF nursery. – With Rudy A. Fernandez