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Not too long ago, we learned about the Bacolod Air Rifle Club (BARC) whose unbridled killing of Philippine birds and ducks became the subject of an online petition calling for immediate government intervention. My post on that most disturbing crime appears HERE. Since early December 2007, the BARC has taken down their website in an attempt to cut their losses and cover their tracks. In a desperate bid to avoid culpability, they put out a statement claiming that they never actually existed. The Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR), after it was notified of the killings, surged ahead to take the lead in the investigation. Bird and animal lovers like myself are expecting a just and proper resolution to that crisis.
But bad news can get worse, and alibis become dream-like.
Take the case of the three members of the Philippine shooting team who are now accused of violating the Philippine Animal Welfare Act and Section 27 of the Republic Act 9147. It became very evident that photographs, ones they took themselves, point to the fact that they were involved in hunting protected wildlife. Talk about shooting one's self in the foot! The photographs show Tet Lara, Jade De Guzman and Mike De Guzman enjoying a joyride paid for, in blood and misery, by the very Philippine wildlife that those laws meant to protect. The victims lie dead, hung like fruit, or bundled together like dirty laundry. By the trio's own doing, the photographs made it to the web in albums posted at the site of PhilippineShotgun.com. They rested on their laurels, content, happy, and proud. Surely, no one would make a stink.
But, the people cried out...
It seems that the trio considered themselves too clever that in the end they outwitted themselves. The photographs now form circumstantial evidence of their wrong-doing, like a banner that reads GUILTY. In their defense, the trio banked on our credulity, or should I say inferred stupidity, by assuring us that they had only come upon the dead animals, and had no hand in their killing. This was an incredible Hail Mary pass that they hoped the Filipino people would catch without more than a grunt or a whimper. But Filipino fools, it seems, are as scarce as Philippine ducks. I wish we had somethng more than a fairy tale to consider in their defense, but that is the best they can offer-- bad fiction mixed in with a hallucinogenic expectation that Filipinos will accept their story hands down. No one bought it, and no one is going to be their fool. So, let's move on to the photographs and see what we can glean from them.
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Perhaps, there is nothing more crass and inhumane than desecrating the remains of a dying animal. Here is Tet Lara, with open-mouth joy and wagging tongue, willfully taunting a duck whose eye was still open. You can see a black dot right below the eyebrow, not possible if the eye was closed. I assure you that this duck was still alive when this photograph was taken. I know this to be true because I spend a lot of time observing ducks and geese, feeding and photographing them, and I have come to a good understanding of their ways. Here are my latest EXAMPLES . I have witnessed cruelty before, usually stemming from anger or neglect, but to mock and ridicule an animal in its death throes takes inhumanity to its zenith. This young lady, evidently, made sure that her triumphant moment over a helpless and wounded duck was captured for posterity.
I would like to believe that the other members of the Philippine Shooting Team, like the general public, would reject such barbaric acts and to openly condemn and distance themselves from such behaviour. It is not good for Philippine sports to have one, or several, of its members practicing animal cruelty. It is unfair to both past and future generations of Filipino athletes to be tagged with animal cruelty even by association only.
The pride and joy derived from this inhumane act is beyond my understanding. I think we need to reach into the deepest and darkest recesses of the human psyche to find the answer. This moment represents the very height of insensitivity and boorishness. I hate to imagine the suffering this animal, and others like it, went through before death actually brought relief. Tet Lara's egregious disregard for animal welfare should not go unpunished. The Animal Welfare Act states, " SECTION 6: It shall be unlawful for any person to torture any animal, or to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance or shelter, or maltreat any animal or to subject any dog or horse to dogfights or horsefights, kill or cause or produce to be tortured or deprived of adequate care sustenance or shelter, or maltreat or use the same in research or experiments not expressly authorized by the Committee on Animal Welfare. " Sure as sunrise, no assistance was rendered here. Authorities should take a hard look at this case, and take proper action. And those besmirched by the callous actions of a few should speak out.
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I am calling on the DENR to do the job they are suppose to do. Warnings are ineffective. Prosecute the violators and preserve Philippine natural resources for future generations.
Please send a mesage to the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) and tell them to investigate and prosecute this matter. You can send a message here:
http://www.denr.gov.ph/board/
ADDITIONAL READING:
Here is a TV news report about the killings, in case you have not seen it:
http://www.gmanews.tv/video/16671/Kapuso-Mo-Jessica-Soho-Bird-Hunting
Here is GMA News :
http://www.gmanews.tv/largevideo/latest/16788/3-RP-shooting-team-members-may-be-charged-for-shooting-ducks
Here is the statement from Tet Lara, Jade and Mike DeGuzman:
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 01:56:53 -0800 (PST) > From: tet lara >>Subject: Shooting statement> To: kapusomojessicasoho @gmanetwork. com>>>
The pictures in question were taken from a defunct spoof website from last year. It was not meant to be viewed seriously as it clearly stated "there was an expedition with Kumander Robot in Abu Sayyaf Territory", which is obviously fake. These photos are being circulated, not by us, but by some unknown group or groups wanting to blame the decline of bird population on someone. We never stated that we shot the birds - the birds were already dead upon our arrival. Its true that dead birds and people posing with shotguns were in the same picture, and does not look good. Admittedly, this was a poor judgment call. However, to say that the Philippine Team shot down near-endangered birds by merely looking at these photos, is jumping to conclusions. Again, we want to apologize to those offended by the bad-taste photos and the portrayal of the > misconcepcion that its OK to shoot philippine ducks. It is NOT OK. We wish to promote our CLAY SHOOTING sport as an alternative to shooting birds, since it is clearly illegal in the Philippines.
Click on Articles to Enlarge
Here is Juan Mercado's Article:
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Here is the DENR's warning:
Atienza warns the hunters:
Comments
http://www.birdwatch.ph/html/corp/wbcphunting.html
lalo ka na tet lara angas ng mukha mo tuwang tuwa ka pa gago ka 'namo mo
These people should be jailed and slapped with the highest fines
GAWIN SILANG HALIMBAWA PARA WAG NA PAMARISAN.
Sana tutukan ang kaso na ito,di lang pampulitika o ningans kugon kundi bilang Pilipino na nangagalaga sa kalikasan.
Wag paligtasin ang mga taong sangkot sa karumaldumal na pglapastangan sa kalikasan.
we don't want these things to happen again
or send them to wartorn places like Iraq or Afghanistan para mas may laban sa kanila kaaway nila,and not with these inocent birds
We're not idiots to believe that these birds are already dead
No person in his right mind will pick up a dead bird(MABAHo UN),ahh thay should also be quarantined kung tutuo man sinasabi nila,this people are still alive at this time,BAKA CARRIER SILA NG BIRD FLU!
Paging DOH!!!
However, Gun hunting is just another form of home invasion. Would you want these guys breaking into your home and shooting your family? That's what they do to defenseless wildlife to call themselves "men". In fact they do what they do because they are sexually and mentally inadequate.
Let hunters hunt each other. The Philippines has a population problem and a violent image. Hunters hunting each other helps solve both problems.
Of course, we are talking about a country where cockfighting is the national sport, and the Philippines were colonial zed by the brutal Spanish, who enjoy bullfighting - very bad people indeed.
What would Jesus say about hunting and cockfighting? If we believe in his heart, we know Jesus would be horrified with these animals called hunters and cockfighters.
Jesus will send them to Hell for viciously violating "All God's Creatures".
lingyai45@gmail.com
Thank you for blogging about this. I doubt these three will actually feel sorry about what they've done but having someone disseminate the information about their actions will at least shame them into not repeating something as despicable as this. I hope.
- karen simbulan
ang baril q poe ay dreyband and pernworvo and rogunz,,,
pls lng poe tigilan nio na poe cla kaz indangerd na cla
And as for the three shameless bird-brained idiots, we really don't care if you come from a rich and powerful family --- as if, you belong to Manila's sophisticated creme de la creme - which sadly, in my social registry book doesn't even nearly come close to at all. We will all look down on you with disdain and contempt - forever.
http://pinoyapache.blogspot.com/2009/05/page-size-8.html
Imee M. Toribio
contributor, www.ourhappyschool.com