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UP authorities arrest, release bird killer
One of the three men involved in the senseless killing of a rare and elusive Black Bittern in the University of the Philippines' Diliman campus last Sunday has been arrested but eventually released, the university said Tuesday.
Vice chancellor for community affairs Nestor Castro said the man is being investigated by the UP Diliman Police and has been brought to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Biodiversity Management Bureau.
"Naaresto na kahapon ang isa sa tatlong lalaking pinaghihinalaang kasangkot sa pagpatay sa ibon. Iniimbestigahan siya ng UP Diliman Police at isinama sa opisina ng Biodiversity Management Bureau ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources," Castro said in a statement.
But he said the man was also released pending the formal filing of a complaint against him.
Castro said the UP is now consulting with lawyers and environmental groups on what legal steps to take.
The university is also looking into the possible negligence of guards assigned to the UP Lagoon, he said.
Also, Castro said the UP joined in the condemnation of the killing of the Black Bittern by three men last Sunday.
"Malinaw na paglabag ito sa Republic Act 9147 o ang Wildlife Resources and Conservation Act na nagbabawal sa pagpatay at pagwasak sa wildlife species," he said.
Last Sunday, two UP alumni witnessed the violent killing of the Black Bittern by three men in the UP Diliman Lagoon.
Lu-Ann Bajarias said on her Facebook account that the men, after killing the bird, "plucked like it was theirs for the taking."
The UP Student Council, for its part, called for safeguards for wildlife inside the UP Diliman campus.
"While we may never be able to revive the life of one bird, we hope that this casualty becomes a step for the community to realize that we need to further strengthen and unify our efforts in order to conserve our natural endowments and save more lives," it said.
The USC called on UP administrators to "realize the importance of the campus as a sanctuary for wildlife and create specific regulations for the protection and preservation of such."
"We further urge the local government of Quezon City and Department of Environment and Natural Resources to support the UP Administration in creating safeguards to protect the delicate balance existing between nature and humans within the school grounds," it added. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News
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