SENATE probers are issuing subpoenas to compel the appearance of at least four suspected members of an alleged syndicate believed to be exporting poached items, including black corals, hawksbill turtles and other endangered marine species.
“It is very clear as we have seen during the investigation. We have identified the financier and the company behind this illegal poaching activities by the name of Li & Lim Trading Corp. which is based in Zamboanga City and owned by a certain Olivia Li and husband whose name is Joe Pring,” Sen. Miguel Zubiri told reporters after a Senate hearing on Monday.
Zubiri added that besides Li and her husband, the committee on environment is also serving a subpoena to a certain Kim Atillano of JKA Transport and Ireneo Penular of JKA Manila branch to testify under oath at the resumption of the Senate inquiry into illegal poaching activities on Wednesday.
“They should attend the next hearing because we want to find out where the banned items seized from them came from and where they intend to sell it,” the Senator said.
Zubiri recalled that testimonies at yesterday’s hearing affirmed that Li & Lim Trading continued to do business even after being apprehended twice in 2007 through Naval Western Command Chief Admiral Emilio Marayag.
“Cases were already filed. We will find out now why these cases have not moved forward. It only goes to show that these people are really a syndicate. It is a syndicate that is illegally harvesting marine resources,” the senator partly in Filipino.
Zubiri said the suspects apparently knew they were doing something illegal when they were arrested in 2007.
“But they continued. It only goes to show that they are recalcitrants and must be punished. This committee will not stop until we can subpoena and get them here to face the committee investigation.”
He added: “We are able to establish today that JKA transport system is also at fault for the misdeclaration of these goods [as rubber]. What we want to establish is the connection between Kim Atillano and Li and Lim Trading Corp to see if there is a syndicate of sort transporting this contraband goods to and from Manila from Zamboanga City and how many shipments they have made already.”
