Customs files raps vs illegal coral shippers

UPDATED 11:30 a.m. - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Friday filed with the Department of Justice a string of criminal charges against the individuals supposedly behind the illegal shipment of P35-million worth of black corals and other endangered marine species. Named on the charge sheet are the following:

• Exequiel Navarro, the consignee of the shipment;
• Olivia Lim li, proprietress of Li and Lim Trading, which was named by Navarro as the shipper of the contraband;
• Officials and employees of the Zamboanga Based JKA Transport System, the cargo-forwarding company tapped by Li and Lim Trading; and
• Officers and owners of Vicky's Trucking, which transported the shipment from Lim Li's warehouse to the Port of Zamboanga.

In May, authorities from the BOC and the Port of Manila intercepted the shipment containing 163 stuffed hawkbills and green turtles; 21,169 pieces of black corals; 7,340 pieces of Trumpet and Helmet shells and 196 kilograms of sea whips. The items were declared as raw rubber. In its complaint, the BOC said the respondents violated the Fisheries Code of the Philippines (Republic Acct 8550) which bans coral exploitation and exportation; and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Administrative Order 158 that prohibits the gathering, taking, collecting, transporting or possession of endangered species of mollusks. The respondents are also charged with violation of the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (Republic Act 9147 ) for the shipment of the contraband. Violation of RA 9147 is punishable by imprisonment of up to six years and a fine of up to P1 million. Navarro denies wrongdoing At a news briefing on Friday, Bureau of Customs commissioner Angelito Alvarez said Navarro has already submitted a counter-affidavit denying knowledge of the illegal shipment, which has been declared as raw rubber. Navarro said that he and was unaware that Li and Lim Trading's cargo being loaded into JKA Transport System's container vans was contraband. "Navarro had claimed in his counter-affidavit that JKA Transport System allowed Li and Lim Trading to load its cargo in the container vans without any supervision since the latter was a regular customer with no derogatory record," Alvarez said. "Per Navarro's account, he and the other employees of JKA Transport System were totally unaware of the shipment's content, much less the involvement of Li and Lim Trading in illegal wildlife trade," the Customs chief added. DOJ to place respondents on watchlist In the same press briefing, Justice Sec. Leila de Lima said she will order the Bureau of Immigration to place the respondents on its watchlist to prevent them from leaving the country. She said she will direct Chief State Counsel Ricardo Paras to draft the order. "This is the subject of a Senate inquiry; it has far-reaching implications. We need to penalize those who would brazenly violate these laws and with the overarching concern on climate change. And we need to take very concrete bold and courageous actions to run after the violators," De Lima said. - VVP, GMA News