MANILA, Philippines - Police and environment authorities are pursuing new leads on the killing of three-year-old Philippine Eagle “Pamana,” which was shot dead on Mount Hamiguitan Range in San Isidro, Davao Oriental on Aug. 16.
“Hopefully, these will lead to the capture of the perpetrator soon,” Dennis Salvador, executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation, said.
Salvador said the provincial police have taken over the investigation from the local police.
He expressed hope that the shooting of Pamana would serve as a catalyst for hunters to stop killing endangered birds and other species.
“With the attention that Pamana is getting from the public, I hope this will result in the effective prosecution and enforcement of the law. Hopefully, this will be a benchmark for wild life offenses, not just for the Philippine Eagle, but for other critical species as well,” Salvador said during a Senate hearing.
Theresa Mundita–Lim, director of the Biodiversity Management Bureau, told the Senate that there are leads on the suspect, but details were kept to prevent police operations from being compromised.
Lim said she got the report from Mark Sagada, chairman of the protected area management board of Mt. Hamiguitan.