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Reader Comments on 'Bio-pirates on Panglao seas; scientists leaving next week'

Non-government organizations (NGOs) in Bohol are alarmed on the news that there are groups of people who are staying on Alona Beach, Panglao Island, are conducting research on marine species.

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Moises Batingal wrote:
Sunday, 7 August 2005 07:24:35 PHT
Stop bio-piracy by all means. Its thievery in disguise. No excuses, be it done by the government or the private entities.
Leo Udtohan wrote:
Saturday, 26 February 2005 22:20:42 PHT
Please visit this website www.panglao-hotspot.org/Templates/new.html
Salaanduero, Kristine wrote:
Thursday, 17 February 2005 22:13:26 PHT
It's not bad to do such reaserch but I should advise, "let them have a good reason with respect for the beautiful natural resources of Bohol." let them have an ultimate permission from the highest people of the Philippines and of course, from the Bohol government. thanks leo.
Marina wrote:
Thursday, 20 January 2005 13:46:03 PHT
You have an interesting article about bio-piracy happening in Bohol. I suggest you coordinate with our office; Philippine Center on Transnational Crime, website: www.pctc.org.ph. Bio-piracy is considered as a transnational crime.

Good to see a pro-active crime fighting office! The problem of course is providing proof that such things happen. Research that starts out as pure science, such as collecting samples of species to establish biodiversity, can have follow-up research on these samples with more direct application, such as for example the poison produced by certain shells, that might proof to be a medicin against certain nerve diseases. The link between purely scientific and later applied science may be difficult to follow, as different researchers may be involved, who may never have entered the Philippines.

Although patents are not always a good thing, and their granting should be based on public interest alone. In case of pharmaceuticals, there is a probably a good case for patents, as they enable the costly research required to discover the medicines in the first place.

My advice would be to meticiously verify all agreements are signed, and require utmost openness from visiting researchers. It may also be advisable to add a standard waiver of patent rights derived from materials sourced in the Philippines on all visa applications, to be co-signed by employers if they are active in the pharmaceutical field, and require additional MOU's if there are different intents.--Jeroen.

Paul wrote:
Monday, 17 January 2005 08:55:14 PHT
I am a person who has been following some of this research for pain medicine. I live with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (some of the worst pain than can be had). We in the the rsd community had great hopes for the drug made from the study of the snails. But so far the side effects are not so good from my understanding. I came here looking for info for my next trip to the Philippines. And to my surprise I find that the people doing this research are Pirates. We are not told anything about this in America. I think from my perspective this is totaly wrong. There should be a legal way to do this if it can be done without harming the enviroment, and with compensation to the community. I know that there are people with very bad pain that would not agree with me they would say what ever to get the pain in control and I myself have said this at times what will it take to get this pain under control. With Very Bad Pain some people take their own lives (I have even planned my own death to escape from this nightmare and I know another man who has thought the same. I regret the trespass and piracy of these people. As a person who lives his life In Christ I know, and have the strength not to take my life. So maybe this is a view from a person who could benefit from this, but I will not promote it. As Christians we have a duty to protect Planet Earth.
JB wrote:
Saturday, 25 December 2004 19:30:28 PHT
I think this is a helpful article. i agree that NGO's and the officials of the local government, and the people themselves have to be the ones to safeguard their place given the lack of implementation of laws. however, i think this article is quite one-sided. asking the people who did research on the organisms and the compounds and derivatives not to apply for patents would be unfair since money is spent to do these things and naturally, monetary compensation has to be given. without patents, just about anybody can steal the information and use it. i do not know much about laws so i cannot suggest a better way to do things. however, we must admit that the philippines really do not have as much money allotted for research so we cannot always work on these things on our own. if we wish to benefit on our bioresources ourselves, then perhaps it would be a good idea to have more funding for local scientific research. i am not saying that we just let the foreigners do their thing and exploit our natural resources with no regard for our laws and no compensation for us but asking them not to benefit somehow on what their doing, even just to break even, defies the laws of economics.
Bolanon wrote:
Sunday, 14 November 2004 19:00:56 PHT
Thanks Leo for this enlightening contribution.
Jeroen wrote:
Friday, 17 September 2004 19:24:40 PHT
Leo, thanks for your interesting contribution. I've placed it in a separate article for convenience of the readers.

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