MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is training its forest rangers on the proper use and handling of shotguns after one ranger was killed while carrying out their duties, DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said Friday.
During the House budget hearing on the DENR’s 2020 budget, Cimatu said a forest ranger was recently killed by illegal loggers in Palawan.
READ: Loggers kill ranger in Palawan forest
“That was the reason why I initiated for the training of my enforcers there kasi pinapatay po ang mga tao namin eh. Nagpa-train na ako sa enforcers namin to handle shotguns,” Cimatu said.
He explained that the DENR’s current standard operating procedure is to have police or army personnel accompany forest rangers on patrol.
At times, however, some rangers go on patrol by themselves if police or military personnel are not available.
Cimatu likewise asked congressmen to create a law that would establish an enforcement bureau that would further boost the implementation of environmental laws.
“Hindi naman kami pwede mag-hire ng security guard to help us in the patroling. In the end, sana mayroon na tayong batas na makatulong sa atin,” he said.
He admitted that the DENR still lacks teeth in the enforcement of the country’s environmental laws and this will only be addressed by the creation of an enforcement bureau.
“All the mandates that is given to us by the law like the clean air act, the clean water, the solid waste management, medyo mahina yung DENR because of the enforcement. We cannot enforce,” he said.
“Gusto ko i-maintain, the last frontier of the Philippines in Palawan pero dito dami namamatayan eh… We’d like to request Congress to help us create a law for the creation of an enforcement bureau,” Cimatu added. /gsg