Manila Bulletin, Philippines : Opinion & Editorial

26/05/2003

Trouble at Tubbataha

By Gemma C. Araneta

AT the Tubbataha Reef, the diving season that commenced last March will soon end; the monsoon rains are about to come. Located off the southeastern coast of Palawan, in the Sulu Sea, the Tubbataha has two small islands uninhabited by humans but visited by exotic migrant birds. I often wonder if that abandoned lighthouse is still there.

An overnight boat trip away from Puerto Princesa, Tubbataha is a veritable underwater paradise not only for divers and tourists but also for marine biologists. There is an incredibly diverse marine life down there with rare species endemic to the Philippines. According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Tubbataha is the country’s natural fish nursery for it is the source of most of the fish found in the waters of this archipelago. Tubbataha feeds us all! No wonder the United Nations declared it a World Heritage Site.

Despite its remoteness, the Reef is not safe from human predators and I don’t mean the usual poachers who catch and kill anything that is alive above and under water, or the commercial and illegal fishers who take advantage of the absence of law enforcers. I refer to arrogant, insensitive people who think they are above the law just because they are rich enough to cruise along in a fancy yacht.

According to the grapevine, three weeks ago, a wealthy, Filipino-Chinese Mercedes Benz dealer, accompanied by a flock of rowdy revelers of both genders, sailed right smack into the Tubbataha sanctuary, in a private yacht. Were they enthralled by Nature’s beauty? By those mysterious manta rays and playful sea turtles? Maybe not because Mr. Car Dealer started shooting at everything that moved. In no time, a small boat of local government officials approached his elegant sea craft. Tubbataha is a sanctuary will you please leave. He did, only to return the next day. You know the type. He must have been piqued by the temerity of the vigilant local officials. The barangay officials made another appearance, in the same little boat, to beg him to leave the sanctuary. Don’t you know who I am? Typical. He wanted to show off to his friends. When Mr. Car Dealer came back a third time, shooting wildly as usual, he got the surprise of his life. There were divers from NGOs with video cameras filming footage of his wanton acts at that UNESCO World Heritage Site. I was told that Jamby Madrigal was among them.

Mr. Car Dealer has received a subpoena. He is being charged with illegal fishing, poaching, etc. But, since he is rich and influential, we all know that vandals like him can commit crimes with impunity. As expected, he called a top lawyer friend of his but after the attorney studied the heritage laws in question he realized that Mr. Car Dealer was guilty beyond reasonable doubt. He told his client that what he did at the Tubbataha Reef was criminal and that he should pay the Php500,000 fine or go to jail. Apparently, Mr. Car Dealer had attempted to bribe the barangay officials with a few thousand pesos but they all refused. That sort of restored my faith in humanity.

How I wish there were more lawyers like Mr. Car Dealer’s attorney. We need law men who practice their profession with public service in mind. When he upheld the existing laws on environment, the protection of marine sanctuaries and heritage sites, I felt that there is still hope for heritage conservation.