General vows long jail term for 6 Chinese poachers

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Friday, April 1, 2011

Philippine authorities Thursday vowed to seek long jail terms for six Chinese caught poaching fish and sea turtles, as part of a crackdown against foreigners stealing local marine wildlife.

The head of a multiagency task force against illegal entrants, Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, said he planned to take a hardline stance against all foreign poachers, unlike previous officials who allowed them to be released.

“We will be pursuing the harshest penalty as demanded by law. We will be fighting for the conviction of these apprehended poachers,” Sabban told Agence France-Presse.

In previous cases of Chinese poachers caught in Philippine waters, the Chinese Embassy has successfully lobbied for the release of its nationals, much to the anger of local environmental groups.

But Sabban, who took over in August last year as head of the task force that includes the police and military, said he would push hard for the latest batch of Chinese poachers to be jailed.

“I don’t know what happened in previous cases but I would like to assure everybody that we will take action differently,” he said.

The Chinese fishermen were arrested off the western island of Palawan on March 24 with their catch of fish and sea turtles, said Chief Supt. Antonio Hicban, the regional police head.

Rising anger

The Chinese poachers are facing charges of illegal entry, illegal fishing and catching a protected species—the sea turtles—which could get them 12 to 20 years in jail, according to Hicban and Sabban.

The declaration of a stronger stance against the Chinese poachers came a day after China executed three Filipino drug couriers, despite appeals for mercy from senior Philippine officials.

Anger toward China has risen in the Philippines after the execution of the three Filipinos.

Sabban said the crackdown was not related to the execution of the three drug mules, but he compared the two cases, recalling that China had insisted that the Philippines respect its legal system under which the Filipinos were put to death.

Rule of law

“The Chinese ambassador said to us, we should understand the rule of law in their country. The same thing should be applied here. We are just following the law, the same way the Chinese ambassador told us,” he said.

Chinese Embassy spokesperson Sun Yi said consular officials would be sent to Palawan to see what action to take regarding the arrested fishermen.

inquirer.net

P3-M corals seized in Cebu

By Evelyn Macarian

Philstar, Friday, April 1, 2011

Joint elements of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Philippine Navy seized corals of different species worth P3 million as they were about to be smuggled from Cebu to Korea on Wednesday afternoon.

Commodore Cecil Chen, PCG-Cebu District commander, said three Cebuanos were arrested in the operation but were turned over to the Navy for questioning.

The corals, reportedly owned by one Jose Jess Pagobo, were reportedly set for shipment to a certain Mr. Park in Korea.

Philstar.com

Navy cracks down on Chinese poachers

Abs-Cbn News, Friday, April 1, 2011

MANILA, Philippines - Navy authorities on Thursday vowed to seek long jail terms for six Chinese caught poaching fish and sea turtles, as part of a crackdown against foreigners stealing marine wildlife.

The head of a multi-agency taskforce against illegal entrants, Brigadier General Juancho Sabban, said he planned to take a hardline stance against all foreign poachers, unlike previous officials who allowed them to be released.

"We will be pursuing the harshest penalty as demanded by law. We will be fighting for the conviction of these apprehended poachers," Sabban told AFP.

In previous cases of Chinese fishermen caught illegally in Philippine waters, the Chinese embassy often successfully lobbied for the release of its nationals, much to the anger of local environmental groups.

But Sabban, who took over in August last year as head of the taskforce that includes the police and military, said he would push hard for the latest batch of nabbed Chinese to be jailed.

"I don't know what happened in previous cases but I would like to assure everybody that we will take action differently," he said.

The Chinese fishermen were arrested off the western island of Palawan on March 24 with their catch of fish and sea turtles, regional police head Chief Superintendent Antonio Hicban said.

They face charges of illegal entry, illegal fishing and catching a protected species -- the sea turtles-- which could get them 12 to 20 years in jail, said Hicban and Sabban.

The declaration of a stronger stance against the Chinese suspects came a day after China executed three Filipino drug traffickers, despite appeals for mercy from senior Philippine officials.

Anger towards China has risen in the Philippines after the execution of the three Filipino drug couriers.

Sabban said the crackdown was not related to the execution of the three but compared the two cases, recalling that China had insisted the Philippines respect its legal system under which the Filipinos were put to death.

"The Chinese ambassador said to us, we should understand the rule of law in their country. The same thing should be applied here. We are just following the law, the same way the Chinese ambassador told us," he said.

Chinese embassy spokesman Sun Yi said consular officials would be sent to Palawan to see what action to take regarding the arrested fishermen.

abs-cbnnews.com

AFP has 12 new generals

By Alexis Romero

The Philippine Star, Wednesday, Mach 30, 2011

President Aquino approved the promotion of 12 colonels of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to one-star generals last March 27.

They were promoted through an ad interim appointment, which would require confirmation of the Commission on Appointments (CA).

The 12 new generals are Army brigadier generals

Mariano Veloria, Alex Albano, Arnolfo Atendido, Ramona Go, Samuel Narbuada, Maximo Caro and Lito Tabangcura; Navy commodores Geronimo Aganon, Isabelo Gador, Wenefredo Banua, and Caesar Taccad; and Air Force brigadier general Nicanor Vivar.

On the other hand, six one-star generals were promoted to two-star rank effective March 27. These are rear admirals Orwen Cortez and Edgar Abogado and major generals Ramiro Alivio, Elmir de la Cruz, Romulo Bambao, and Alfredo Peralta, who took over as superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy this month.

Eastern Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Arthur Tabaquero, meanwhile, was promoted to lieutenant general last March 26.

A total of 102 lieutenant colonels have been promoted to full colonel, allowing them to join the roster of AFP senior officers.

Among them is the late Air Force Lt. Col. Ferdinand Macasaet, who was gunned down in Baguio City last March 3.

Macasaet, who served as head of the PMA’s air warfare and headquarters tactics group, was on his way home to Pinesville Subdivision on board his Mitsubishi Montero when an unidentified gunman fired at him with a caliber .40 pistol.

He was about to be promoted when he was slain by the gunman, who remains at large. The AFP nevertheless granted him a posthumous promotion since his appointment papers had already been processed.

Also promoted to full colonel was Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., chief of the AFP public affairs office. Burgos, a member of PMA Class 1988, was former spokesman of the Armed Forces.

Philstar.com