Barangay Pundaguitan Kagawad Ronald Matinao alerted the Philippine Coast Guard of a suspicious banca that was found to be transporting poached wildlife. Courtesy: Philippine Coast Guard

MANILA — The Philippine Coast Guard and local authorities of a Davao Oriental town this week arrested five suspects, including two Indonesians,  for the illegal transport of wildlife they were transporting in a motorized banca.

According to a release, the Coast Guard sub-station in Governor Generoso town were alerted by Barangay Pundaguitan Kagawad Ronald Matinao of a suspicious boat off the coast of their village, which triggered a joint operation against the banca, which was found to be unregistered.

"Upon inspection, the team discovered a haul of undocumented wildlife, including 27 Mollucan Cockatoos, 21 Rainbow Lorikeets, 26 Red Lories, and several marsupials such as Northern and Common Spotted Cuscus," the Coast Guard said.

Courtesy: Philippine Coast Guard

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The five suspects and their boat were brought to the Montserrat Fish Port for further investigation and were later turned over to local police.

The confiscated wildlife have been turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. 

The Philippines is a consumer, source and transit point of the illegal wildlife trade, according to an Asian Development Bank report on the problem.

The ADB said the illegal wildlife trade in the country is valued at around P50 billion, including the market value of wildlife and the damage to habitats caused by poaching.

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Among the most traded species are the Philippine Forest Turtle and Hawksbill Turtle, which are both considered critically endangered, and the vulnerable Palawan Pangolin and Blue-naped Parrot.