The word is out that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional office will implement without fear or favor a “toothless” provincial ordinance banning the caging of tarsiers outside its natural habitat. Raising the alarm bell regarding the proliferation of tarsiers for public viewing while in captivity outside its natural habitat, the Philippine Tarsier Foundation, Inc. urged Gov. Edgar Chatto to do something given the rampant exploitation of the smallest primate for commercial purposes. A provincial ordinance authored by then board member Alfonso Damalerio II now provincial administrator prohibited the possession, display for viewing for commercial purposes or business use, or any other purpose not included in the ordinance pushed by the tarsier foundation.

Apparently falling on deaf ears, the ordinance was more honored in the breach rather than in the compliance as tarsier operators are violating the law with impunity. Thinking that the ordinance lacked the teeth to be enforced without fear or favor, its glaring violation in wild abandon is more evident in Loboc where operators have a field day displaying caged tarsiers for public viewing—and for a fee. The ordinance provides that tarsiers are only allowed to propagate in its wildlife sanctuary in Canapnapan, Corella town to preserve the little creature from unregulated exploitation. In a meeting held Monday at the People's Manson, the foundation through its president Rev. Fr. Florante Camacho egged Chatto to implement the ordinance in an apparent bid to save the tarsier from extinction if the current practice will go on unabated.

Among the prominent members of the foundation are Camacho as president, lawyer Anos Fonacier, Richard Uy of First Consolidated Bank and Marlito Uy of Alturas Group. As a meeting aftermath, the governor instructed the ordinance author (Damalerio) to proceed to Cebu to hand carry a letter addressed to Director Maximo Dichoso of DENR. The instruction was for Damalerio to get a received copy of the ordinance to ensure compliance of the dormant law. The Post obtained a copy of the received copy from DENR Cebu. With the impending enforcement of the tarsier ordinance, it was presumed that henceforth the public display of tarsier outside its natural habitat is considered beyond the commerce of man. The foundation was alarmed about reports that the profligate issuance of tarsier permits by the DENR was in consideration of a “tidy sum of money”. The going rate was reportedly P20,000 for every permit issued for the tarsier display outside its designated home in Corella.