The first time I heard about the Tuko trade (buy and sell of Tokay geckos) here in Bukidnon was through our batchmate Alain Pausanos. We were in Kampo Juan whe.n he joined us and brought a photo of the Tuko with guarantees of millions in return. In fact, if I remember it right, Alain and his friend went to Bohol to see if there are geckos there.
This item from Bukidnon Online made it clear that this is becoming a popular trade here in Bukidnon. So, with apologies to Alain, here are a few things I will throw into the discussion:
a. R.A. 9147 or “Wildlife Resources and Protection Act” of 2001 prohibits the sale of wildlife species such as the Tokay gecko. It is illegal to capture, sell and transport geckos for commercial purposes, and even if you capture them as pets you require explicit permission from DENR.
b. the fines for those caught include imprisonment between 6 years to 12 years and a penalty ranging from 100,000 to 1,000,000
c. there is a now a crackdown on the trade especially here in Bukidnon per a press release from the government
Tuko!
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