Chinese-Filipino trader tagged in smuggling of black coral

Philip C. Tubeza - 

A Chinese-Filipino businesswoman has been identified as the financier in the foiled attempt to smuggle P35 million worth of marine life that exposed the massive destruction of a black coral network off Cotabato province reportedly five times the size of Manila.

Exequiel Navarro, consignee of the illegal shipment, identified the woman and two accomplices, but their names were withheld pending investigation, Customs Police Director Nestorio Gualberto told reporters on Monday.

“The businesswoman is supposed to be the financier of the project. She exports marine products to Taiwan,” Gualberto said. “(Navarro) is claiming he was only used by the Chinese businesswoman.”

Navarro is under investigation after customs officials intercepted two large container vans containing cargo declared as rubber and consigned to him earlier this month. The shipment revealed more than 21,000 pieces of black corals, 161 dead turtles and other marine life.

Coral expert Gary Williams of the California Academy of Sciences estimated that the area damaged or destroyed due to the harvesting of the black corals could reach up to 190.8 square kilometers, or five times the size of Manila, which has a land area of 38.55 square km.

Gualberto said Navarro also implicated two men—one in charge of the harvesting, and the other the shipper.

Gualberto said the Bureau of Customs would initially file charges only against Navarro in the Department of Justice on Thursday for violating the country’s Fisheries Code.

Gualberto added that the bureau also would seek Navarro’s inclusion in the Bureau of Immigration’s watch list to prevent him from leaving the country.

“We cannot make any arrest because the incident happened a long time ago. (Navarro) is freely roaming around, but he cannot leave the country,” he said.

Gualberto said Navarro also offered a sworn affidavit to the bureau, but the agency turned it down and suggested that he submit it instead to the justice department.

“These are his allegations, but it remains to be proven if that Chinese woman has something to do with his case,” he added.

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