The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has urged the public to keep reporting suspicious activity after a tip-off led authorities to seize various exotic animals worth P300,000 and arrest three suspected wildlife traders in Oriental Mindoro last Tuesday. A total of 56 heads of wildlife species—including the endangered green iguana and red-footed tortoise—were recovered from a raid conducted by operatives of the Philippine Operations Group on Ivory and Illegal Wildlife Trade or Task Force POGI at the residence of one of the suspects in Barangay Banus in Gloria town. DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said the raid was a positive example of how members of the public reporting information to authorities makes a difference in the fight against illegal wildlife trade. “Members of the public play an important role in protecting wildlife species, particularly reporting suspected violations of the country’s wildlife protection law,” Cimatu said. ”Therefore, we urge them to continue to be our eyes and ears, and together, we could make a real difference to the future of all wildlife species, especially those considered endangered or threatened,” he added. Prior to the raid, Task Force POGI received a tip that an alleged illegal wildlife trader residing in Oriental Mindoro was temporarily shelteringvarious wildlife species from Palawan before being transported to different buyers across the country. A surveillance then ensued until the task force confirmed that endangered wildlife were being kept in the house of a certain Fernando Zamoranos Jr. Zamoranos, together with Zam Angelo Zamoranos and Jessie Dacutanan, was arrested and charged with violation of Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001, which defines and penalizes illegal possession and trading of wildlife species. Under the law, violators could face a jail term of up to 12 years and a fine of not more than P1 million. Task Force POGI is a composite team of wildlife law enforcers from various agencies including the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau and the National Bureau of Investigation-Environmental Crime Division. The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office in Oriental Mindoro assisted the task force in carrying out the raid at Zamoranos’ residence. ###

Posted on December 12, 2019

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will lead a high-level inter-agency meeting on December 16 to discuss the implementation of an honest-to-goodness clearing operation along Pasig River.

The meeting was called by DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu in his capacity as chairman of the Manila Bay Task Force. It will be held at the corporate building of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) in Manila.

Invited to the meeting were the heads of 12 other government agencies tasked in the 2008 writ of continuing mandamus issued by the Supreme Court to clean up, rehabilitate and preserve Manila Bay.

The agencies are the Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Budget and Management, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, Local Water Utilities Administration, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police-Maritime Group, and PPA.

Mayors Isko Moreno of Manila, Vico Sotto of Pasig City and Abby Binay of Makati City will laso be invited to the meeting.

Cimatu earlier came out with a directive to clear the 24-km Pasig River of “all obstructions and blockage” for the recently relaunched ferry service and in line with the ongoing rehabilitation of Manila Bay.

Studies showed that about one-fifth of the organic pollution load to Manila Bay came from the Pasig River basin.

Cimatu said the meeting would serve as an opportunity for the DENR to touch base with other agencies covered by the continuing mandamus.

On December 9, Cimatu issued a memo circular directing all DENR offices and officials involved in the Manila Bay rehabilitation to link arms with other “mandamus agencies” for close coordination and oversight of all ongoing efforts to rehabilitate Pasig River pursuant to the 11-year-old high court directive.

The environment chief specifically ordered DENR Undersecretaries Juan Miguel Cuna and Ernesto Adobo Jr., the Manila Bay Ground Commander and Manila Bay Task Force Secretariat Head, respectively, to ”coordinate and collaborate” with mandamus agencies and concerned local government units and private sectors on the matter. #