Health secretary debunks rumors of gecko cancer cure | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online
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Health secretary debunks rumors of gecko cancer cure
July 7, 2011, 12:38pm
DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines (PNA) -– Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona on Tuesday said there is no scientific finding that geckos, locally known as “tuko”, can cure cancer, AIDS or other diseases as claimed by people who are spreading its supposed healing power.
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Ona, who issued his statement while in Dumaguete on Tuesday, expressed surprise over the sudden emergence of rumors about geckos in the country in recent months.
Ona described it as “funny, but it is true, not only in the Philippines but in other countries that when certain sickness strikes, before you know it, our grandparents already have solutions, that’s why we call them grandmother’s tale,” he said.
He stressed there is absolutely no basis for that perception or belief, as he urged the people to stop believing in such myths.
Reports have it that certain businessmen from Manila are in Negros Oriental to buy geckos weighing 300 grams and above, which has prompted even children to skip classes to hunt for these types of reptile and that even small ones are being caged, fed with ****roach with the belief that they will grow to the buyers’ desired weight.
Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENROP 2) Mario Aragon said the geckos are natural predators of ****roaches and other insects and are not supposed to be extracted.
He said violators may face sanctions under applicable laws, particularly the wildlife protection law.
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The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Tuesday told the public to refrain from catching and selling tuko (gecko), following reports that the reptiles are being harvested in parts of the country for their medicinal properties.
DENR chief Ramon Paje stressed that catching and selling these protected animals are illegal, as stated in Republic Act 9147 or the Philippine Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
“The law expressly provides that the collection, trade or transport of geckos without appropriate permits is punishable by imprisonment and fine... specifically, if the technique used in the capture of the gecko is inappropriate," he said in a statement Tuesday.
Paje issued the statement after receiving reports that these animals are being sold in different parts of the country for a minimum price of P50,000 per 300-gram gecko.
The DENR secretary said there is no scientific basis to claims that geckos can serve as aphrodisiacs and as cure for cancer, asthma, tuberculosis, impotence and even Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Paje said geckos – 26 species of which are found only in the Philippines— are important in regulating the pest population in the ecosystem.
“Geckos feed on insects and worms. Larger species hunt small birds and rodents, while still other species feed on plant matter such as mosses. They play an important role in maintaining our fragile ecosystems," he said.
Geckos are known in the Philippines for making sounds at night, which scientists say are used by the reptiles for social interaction. They are carnivorous, usually nocturnal, and possess sticky footpads that allow them to climb vertical surfaces.
