Judge Neciforo Enot of the Regional Trial Court Branch 44 in Negros Oriental has ordered that the Russian national charged for the death of an endangered Green Sea Turtle in Dauin be issued a hold departure order by the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation.
Insp. Bernabe Rubio, Dauin police chief, disclosed Friday that Judge Enot issued the release order of Anton Likharev, 35 years old, single, of Vladivostok, Russia, after he posted bail of P40,000 late Thursday.
The court also included a hold order preventing Likharev to leave the country during the pendency of the case, said Insp. Rubio.
In his order, Judge Enot said “the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation is directed to prevent the departure of the accused from Philippine territory,” being a foreign national, “until further orders from this court”.
The police chief explained that a copy of the court order will be furnished to the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation so it can issue a hold departure order against the Russian national.
Insp. Rubio said Likharev was informed of the hold order and was released from detention late Thursday, in the presence of the Russian national’s Filipina girlfriend.
Likharev said he will remain in his rented apartment in Masaplod Sur, Dauin, according to Rubio.
The Russian national was charged for violation of Sec. 102 of Republic Act 10654 or the Amended Fisheries Code in relation to the death of a Green Sea Turtle on Wednesday.
Police arrested him after a Bantay Dagat (fish warden), Froilan Bantayanon, intercepted Likharev while he was getting out of the water with what later turned out to be a Green Sea Turtle that had a spear embedded in its head which caused its death.
The turtle weighed nine and three fourths kilos.
Bantayanon then called Dauin Mayor Neil Credo and informed him of the incident.
Mayor Credo instructed the Dauin police to immediately respond to the scene, said Insp. Rubio.
Likharev told police investigators he did not see the turtle resting among the corals while he was targeting some fish with a spear gun inside the marine sanctuary in Masaplod Sur.
Police are now investigating how Likharev managed to slip in unnoticed with a spear gun as it is unlawful to use it within a marine sanctuary, said Insp. Rubio.
Environmentalists and netizens who saw the pictures of the dead sea turtle cried foul over its demise and are seeking justice.
Danny Ocampo, a staunch environmentalist working for an NGO as oceans campaign director, expressed disgust: “What this person did was deplorable considering that he did it in an area known both for tourism and marine conservation”.
“The worse part of it is that he killed an endangered species in an area visited by a lot of tourists to see living sea turtles. He should be held accountable for violating several of our laws,” Ocampo added.
Sec. 102 of RA 8550 as amended by RA 10654 stipulates that it is unlawful to take, catch, gather, sell, purchase, possess, transport, export, or ship out aquatic species listed in Appendix I of the Convention of the International Trade on Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, or those categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources.
An offender can be penalized up to P5 million and imprisonment of 12 years and one day to 20 years. (Judy Flores Partlow/PNA)
