Cops re-oriented on environmental laws

SOME 23 police officers were re-oriented on environmental laws by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office – Kalinga to strengthen their enforcement held at the Kalinga Police Provincial Office.

The campaign dwell on Presidential Decree (PD) 705 or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines; Republic Act (RA) 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act; and Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order No. 97-32 which sets rules for the administrative adjudication of illegal forest products and the machinery, equipment, tools and conveyances used in illegal forest activities.

Forester II Bonifacio Manganip discussed the provisions of PD 705, particularly on section 68 which became section 78 on the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines, sections 78A, 79, 82, 83, 85, and section 89 which is the Arrest Institution of Criminal Actions.

On his discussion, Manganip enumerated the kind of forest products which are prohibited to be cut, used, transported, gathered and possessed by any individual. He also discussed the proper procedures in apprehending illegally cut and transported forest products, and the needed legal documents required to cut, gather and transport timber and other forest products.

During the presentation of apprehended products, equipment, tool and conveyances, a policeman stated one of the vehicles presented was recently seen in Cudal, Tabuk City, Kalinga. Manganip

reminded him of Section 89 of the PD 705 which states a policeman can file a case against illegal loggers and seek for the seizure of their conveyances.

Requirements for filing criminal complaints against offenders were presented.

Part of the discussion was a presentation of the sample certifications and permits issued by Department of Environment and Natural Resources. As a supplement, Development Management Officer III Denne Capuyan expounded further the process of filing a case in the court upon apprehension of forest products and conveyances as he discussed the DENR Administrative Order No. 97-32.

Part of his presentation was on apprehension receipt, provisional apprehension receipt, and transparency and apprehension proceedings.

Meanwhile Supervising Ecosystems Management Specialist Veronica Banglot elaborated on Republic Act (RA) 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

Banglot presented the jurisdictions of the DENR and the Department of Agriculture as far as management, control, and supervision of terrestrial, aerial, and coastal territory is concerned and discussed on possession of wildlife and its requirements, collection of threatened wildlife by products and derivatives, specific kind of wildlife permits to be issued, wildlife enforcement officers’ (WEOs) functions, and illegal acts and penalties for killing wildlife and some exemptions. Jovito Balla-ao/DENR Release