Davao council urged to declare turtle-eaters 'unwelcome'

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

DAVAO – Mayor Sara Duterte urged the City Council to declare some foreigners, who were involved in dumping parts of a green sea turtle in a wharf in this city, as “persona non grata” .

Once declared as persona non grata, the parties involved will no longer be allowed to enter the jurisdiction of the city by land or by sea.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are listed as endangered by both the World Conservation Union and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites).

Duterte said MV Hannah crew along with its owner and the Indonesians onboard cannot do whatever they want here in the city.

"They should understand that we don't tolerate this (act) in our city. We have supported their visit so they should respect the city," the mayor lamented.

The inedible parts of the slaughtered turtle, including the head, were brought to the attention of a news crew of TV5 by residents around Sta. Ana Pier last Thursday.

Hannah Parks, owner of MV Hannah II, has issued a public apology on the controversial incident involving the Korean vessel's crew, and the Indonesian missionaries onboard.

But Parks's explanation did not sit well with the mayor who instead urged the City Council to be quick in declaring them as "persona non grata" or unwelcome person.

“Ano akala nila sa atin, maliliit ang utak (Do they think we’re dumb)? If they killed and ate (the sea turtle) in Palau, why travel all the way to Davao with the carcass? I saw the pictures, it wasn't decomposing,” Duterte said.

Emmanuel Isip, technical regional director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), said he sees no violation in what the foreign vessel crew did because the sea turtle was slaughtered in a foreign land. The country's law does not cover crimes committed outside its jurisdiction.

Parks said they were not the ones who caught and killed the turtle. They also did not buy it, but admitted they ate it.

The Republic of Korea, Palau, and Indonesia, along with the Philippines, are among the 175 countries that are signatories to Cites. (JOP of Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)