Section 17Sec./Art. 17

Administrative Confiscation and Fine. Administrative proceedings for violation of the foregoing prohibited acts shall proceed independently and without prejudice to judicial action. The PAMB through the Protected Area Superintendent is hereby empowered to impose an administrative fine ranging from Five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) to One hundred fifty thousand pesos (P150,000.00) and/or the cancellation of permit or license issued. Decisions of the Protected Area Superintendent may be appealed within thirty (30) days from receipt of the decision to the PAMB Executive Committee. The decision of the PAMB Executive Committee is appealable to the DENR Secretary within a period of sixty (60) days from the receipt of the decision.

All conveyances, vessels, equipment, paraphernalia, implements, gear, tools and similar devices shall be subject to immediate administrative confiscation by the Protected Area Superintendent Office upon apprehension without prejudice to criminal action. Once the proper criminal action is filed in the regular courts, the said conveyances, vessels, equipment, paraphernalia, implements, gear, tools and similar devices shall be in custodia legis but shall continue to be subject to administrative confiscation and may only be released by the trial court to the owner pending trial upon consultation with the Protected Area Superintendent and with proper consideration of the pending administrative proceedings and the potential forfeiture of the said objects.

Administrative fines collected and the proceeds of the sale of all objects administratively or judicially confiscated or forfeited pursuant hereto shall accrue to the Integrated Protected Area Fund. The procedure for the sale thereof shall be promulgated by the PAMB.