Wildlife conservationists are challenging presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to include in his war on crime the illegal trade in wildlife, as the underground market continues to threaten endemic Philippine species. According to Philippine Center for Terrestrial and Aquatic Research (PCTAR), the multibillion-dollar black market continues to flourish globally, with the Philippines becoming a major player particularly in the trade of amphibians and reptiles. The United States, for instance, exports nine to 11 million specimens of the red-eared slider, a species of turtle, and also serves as a major consumer along with Germany, Japan and China.

Cinco, M. (2016, May 27). Groups ask Duterte to also stop wildlife trafficking. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A14.