On November 21, 2012, at approximately 9 am, at Branch 33 of Quezon City RTC presided by Judge Edward Pacis re: Case Number 00806, Ernesto Carual and John Albert Perez were convicted for violating the Animal Welfare Act and were directed to pay a fine of only P2000 each.
The three other men who were caught with Perez and Carual slaughtering a dog are now on the run and are nowhere to be found.
“We can’t help but have mixed feelings about the case,” says Atty Roy Kayaban, PAWS’ legal counsel. “We are happy that justice has been served, but we are afraid that this type of cruelty will happen over and over again because of the dismal penalties of the Animal Welfare Act.”
“The amount of fine and the length of prison terms are no longer the deterrents they used to be. Penalties must be increased, ” mentions Kayaban.
See related article below on the filing of charges vs dog killers on July 2010:
http://paws.org.ph/site/ItemID=47/305/default.aspx?month=7
See related articles below on lobbying for the amendment of Animal Welfare Act
New house bill seeks to amend Animal Welfare Act
Higher fines for animal cruelty
It will take a stronger law to prevent animal cruelty