DENR sues former Puerto Princesa police chief

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has filed criminal and administrative charges against Col. Marion Balonglong, recently relieved as chief of the Puerto Princesa City police, for the illegal arrest and maltreatment of eight environment employees last month.

Balonglong is facing torture, unlawful arrest and other criminal charges for barring eight employees of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) in Puerto Princesa City from their follow-up investigation on the massive cutting of mangroves in Sitio Bucana, Barangay Iwahig on June 10.

He was also slapped administrative charges including grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority and violation of the code of conduct for public officials.

The DENR’s 18-page complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman on June 21 detailed the encounter of three foresters, four forest rangers and a forest protection officer with Balonglong and several fully armed men, after the DENR team inspected a mangrove forest reserve on June 7 and caught two individuals supposedly working for Balonglong and a certain “Atong Estrada.” The team recovered 73 cut mangrove trees from the site.

During their June 10 follow-up operation at the mangrove swamp, the team was blocked by an armed Balonglong and several men. Balonglong reportedly pointed his weapon at ranger Roldan Alvarez whom he also “kicked and stomped on,” with his combat boots.

The complaint also detailed how Balonglong allegedly “put a transparent cellophane” around the head of Alvarez and began to suffocate him, raising fears among the DENR team that he had intended to execute them.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu condemned Balonglong’s act as “totally unacceptable.” The Puerto Princesa City Council also declared him persona non grata.

Balonglong was Las Piñas police chief in 2018 when he was relieved for alleged involvement in an abduction and extortion attempt against a drug suspect.