DENR destroys 5 tons of smuggled ivory tusks

MANILA, Philippines - Using a road roller, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) destroyed at least five tons of smuggled elephant tusks worth about P420 million inside the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) compound in Quezon City yesterday morning.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said the move was a reaffirmation of the country’s commitment to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna or CITES.

CITES is an international treaty forged in 1973 to regulate commercial trade in certain wildlife species, including the critically endangered elephants.

“This act is a strong statement to the rest of the world that the Philippines is serious and will not tolerate illegal wildlife trade,” Paje said, adding no one, not even the government, will benefit from these seized items that mostly came from Africa.

Paje called on the Filipino people to join the DENR in protecting endangered species and be vigilant of illegal businesses that might involve ivory tusks.

He explained that despite the high price of raw ivory in the black market, the government had no choice but to destroy the tusks to send a strong message of indignation against poachers that kill hundreds of elephants to get their ivory.

Premium ivory is reportedly being sold at $2,000 per kilo in the black market.

“The Philippines will not be a party to the massacre and we refuse to be a conduit to this cycle of killing. We value living elephants with tusks intact than ivories from elephants that were killed for their tusks,” Paje said.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) yesterday expressed support for DENR’s decision to destroy the elephant tusks that proved to the world that the country does not tolerate the illegal practice.

“PETA is pleased to see the DENR taking elephant protection so seriously. The destruction of P420-million worth of ivory elephant tusks will send a strong message to the international community that the cruel slaughter of elephants will not be tolerated,” it said.

The animal rights activists group added, “Poachers, unwilling to waste valuable ivory, hack off elephants’ faces with machetes, hatchets, or axes. Often, entire families are poached at once, and the ground is littered with the faceless bodies of murdered elephants.”

It also asked the public to be more vigilant and report to the authorities if it sees the selling of ivory.

Various law enforcement agencies including the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the DENR-National Capital Region have confiscated more than 12 tons of illegally traded ivory in separate operations since 1996.

Missing ivory

PAWB Director Mundita Lim said the missing 7,000 plus tons will be the subject of a probe by the BOC and NBI.

Lim likewise explained that some 260 kilos of these confiscated items would be set aside since these will be used in an ongoing case in Kenya regarding smuggled ivory tusks, while some 60 kilos would be used for information and education purposes here in the country.

The DENR also organized the Philippine Operations Group on Ivory or POGI to ensure that ivory smuggling in the country is properly investigated.

“We will pursue the prosecution of law violators in order to break the illegal ivory trade,” Paje said.

He added that criminal complaints have already been filed against suspects who were involved in the illegal shipment of ivory and the courts have issued already corresponding arrest warrants against the culprits.

POGI’s creation is part of the Philippine Ivory Action Plan submitted to the CITES secretariat in accordance with the recommendations adopted by the CITES Standing Committee at its 64th Session held in Bangkok, Thailand last March 14. The plan aims to reduce illegal ivory trade in the country.

In the conference, the Philippines was included as one of the eight countries of priority concerns as regards illegal ivory trade, particularly its role as a transshipment point of elephant tusks. The others are Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa, which are considered sources of ivory; China and Thailand as destinations; and Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Vietnam as transshipment points.

Paje said apart from the DENR, the members of POGI include the NBI, BOC, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Philippine National Police-National Capital Region Police Office, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

The five tons of ivory that were destroyed came from a total of about 13 tons seized by customs officers since the mid-1990s, with the two biggest hauls at Manila’s seaport and international airport in 2005 and 2009.

The rest of the ivory, worth millions of dollars on the black market, was stolen over the years.

Most of it went missing while being kept by the customs bureau, a notoriously corrupt organization, and a wildlife bureau officer is on the run after being charged with stealing about 700 kilograms.

CITES warned that countries could face international sanctions on wildlife trading if they failed to take action.

The United Nations and conservations groups have warned the demand for ivory is leading to the slaughter of thousands of African elephants each year, and could eventually lead to their extinction.

The Philippines was named because of its role as a transport hub for African ivory being smuggled into countries such as China, Vietnam and Thailand, where demand has skyrocketed in recent years.

The ivory is highly sought after for statues, trinkets and other items to showcase wealth.

Meanwhile, Bonaventure Ebayi, chair of the Lusaka Agreement Task Force in Nairobi, Kenya, expressed support to the Philippine government.

– With Evelyn Macairan