The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Lawyers Guild Inc. (DLGI) called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to cleanse its ranks while strongly condemning the unlawful arrest and illegal detention of 11 individuals including environmental law enforcers of the government and barangay tanod in Barangay Bucana-Matahimik last week by City PNP officers upon the orders of the then-City Police Director P Col Marion Balonglong.
“We call on the PNP to investigate the matter and cleanse its ranks of police law-breakers, unfitting to implement the laws,” the DLGI said.
“The DENR Team was in the performance of its task in investigating the unlawful occupation of forestland and cutting of mangrove trees when they were, without any warrant, accosted by the police officers led by Director of PNP Puerto Princesa P/Col Marion Balonglong,” DLGI said in a statement through its president, Atty. Camilo Garcia.
Two days after the incident PNP Director General, Archie Gamboa ordered the immediate relief of PNP-Puerto Princesa City Police Director, P Col Marion Balonglong. The PNP Regional Office, in an order dated June 12, 2020, reassigned him to the regional headquarters in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.
He was replaced by PCol Sergio Vivar Jr.
To recall, the composite team of the DENR, City Government of Puerto Princesa, and Barangay Bucana-Matahimik during their operation on June 10, 2020, at around 10:30am while they were still in Zone 4, a mangrove area occupied by informal settlers, decided to form another group to proceed to Zone 3, where P/Col Balonglong allegedly occupied mangrove area is located, some 11 team members were stopped by the PNP personnel.
The environmental law enforcers were identified as Rodney Verian, Roldan C. Alvarez, Jason D. Montemor, Jefferson de Leon-Palacol, Jhon Vincent J. Bartulo, Pablito Vidara and Raymund Sapalo from the DENR-CENRO, Shirin Maulod from the City Government’s Bantay Bakawan program, Steve Ferrer and Roldan Paras who are both barangay tanods of Barangay Bucana-Matahimik.
They were then ordered to lay on the grounds, physically abused, interrogated at gunpoint, at illegally arrested and detained until 4pm.
The attack on environmental enforcers by police forces is considered as the first case of its kind in Palawan, alarming the environmental conservation community that is already the target of attacks by illegal loggers and illegal forest occupants.
DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu, furious with what happened to his personnel in Puerto Princesa City, said that the incident is unacceptable.
“It is totally unacceptable that these environmental enforcers who continue to perform their duties despite the COVID-19 pandemic have to suffer violence at the hands of the police, who should be assisting them in their operations,” Cimatu said in a statement.
Atty. Carlo B. Gomez, City Environment and Natural Resources Officer of Puerto Princesa City said that the operation was a team effort which is a joint action of the DENR, City Government of Puerto Princesa, through the Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources Officer, Drive Against Professional Squatters and Squatting Syndicates (DAPSASS), Bantay Bakawan, and Barangay Bucana-Matahimik, to investigate the reported damage in mangroves area.
He strongly criticized the action of the City PNP considering that they are obstructing a legitimate government operation against mangroves destruction involving the PNP’s city director himself, and worst, the police are inflicting physical harm to the environmental law enforcers dispatched by duly constituted authorities.
Atty. Gomez explained that as part of the government, all persons in authority specifically the men in uniform such as that from the PNP, AFP, NBI, and other authorities should provide support, protect environmental law enforcers of the government, and at all times, be in accord with the government’s missions and objectives, since Article II, Section 16 of the 1987 Constitution vests in the State the ultimate responsibility to preserve and protect the environment.
The mangrove forest in Palawan spans 63,532 hectares or 4.4% of Palawan’s total area. The entire province has been declared as mangrove swamp forest reserve through Proclamation No. 2152 series of 1981 issued by then President Ferdinand E. Marcos. The cutting of mangroves is strictly prohibited in the country’s Forestry Code also known as Presidential Decree No. 705.
Mangroves are the first line of defense for coastal communities. They stabilize shorelines by slowing erosion and provide natural barriers protecting coastal communities from the threats caused by storm surge, flooding, and other natural calamities. Mangrove forests are extremely productive ecosystems that provide good and services.
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