Man gets 4 yrs for killing Rufous hornbill

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The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) won its case in court with the conviction of an individual who killed a Rufous hornbill, a threatened bird species locally known as kalaw, in Ilocos Norte province in 2014.

Bangui Regional Trial Court Judge ConradoRagucos sentenced Michael Datu to a jail term of up to four years after he pleaded guilty to killing the kalaw, which is penalized under Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Protection Act. The case stemmed from a photo posted on the Facebook page of the Wild Bird Club Philippines, showing a man, who was later identified as Datu, holding up a dead kalaw and with a rifle hanging across his body. This prompted an investigation by the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Bangui. With the help of the local police and some witnesses, Datu was tracked down, and he later admitted that he was the man in the photo, and cidentally" killed that he only "ac- the bird.

After the case was filed in court, Datu was arraigned twice.

During his first arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to the crime. He later changed his mind. and pleaded guilty during rearraignment.

DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu lauded the court ruling as a "decisive victory for the country's wildlife as it sends a strong signal that wildlife crimes cannot go unpunished."

He said DENR "will continue to uphold its mandate in protecting the environment, particularly the diverse biodiversity species that comprise the multitudes of ecosystems in the country."

Rufous hornbill, also known as the Philippine hornbill (Buceroshydrocorax), is a large species of hornbill found only in the Philippines and is listed as among the terrestrial threatened species under DENR Administrative Order 2004-15.

The bird is categorized as "vulnerable" under the Convention of the International Trade in Engangered Species of Wildlife Flora and Fauna, a global treaty to protect endangered plants and animals.