Caraga Group Supports Erap’s Proposal to Classify Illegal Logging as Heinous Crime

BUTUAN CITY- Environmentalist group Caraga Watch today expressed support to former President Estrada’s proposal in urging Congress to declare illegal logging as a heinous crime.

Caraga Watch, a multi-sectoral group formed not only to combat illegal logging but illegal mining as well, in their press statement suggested that since illegal logging activities only succeed in a mafia-like syndicated operations which includes alleged participation of scalawag DENR personnel, it called on for a thorough lifestyle check of all DENR personnel directly link to illegal logging activities.

“Illegal logging and illegal mining to succeed requires full nod sometimes unseen but manipulative participation of DENR officials and subordinates by making illegal logging or wood smuggling look like legal through manipulation of documents” Leonardito Q. Flores, Executive Director of the Caraga Watch said.

Flores alleged that said acts have been associated for so long on the unabated illegal logging and now illegal mining activities in Caraga Region destroying not only the region’s last remaining forest through unabated cutting of trees but also deprived national government of revenues worth billions of pesos in the past.

Flores has been calling for total revamp in the entire DENR bureaucracy of Caraga Region but allegedly some powerful elective officials most of them Congressmen even wrote letters to DENR officials in Manila not to transfer at least six Community Environment and Natural Resources Officers.

In the past, the group called for a no none sense investigation and real inventory of lands, surveyed, titled and distributed by the DENR claiming most of its beneficiaries were allegedly relatives, close associates even sons, daughters, wives, nephews with some also friends and associates of politicians.

Caraga Watch also urged local DENR, Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau and Environment (MGB) Management Bureau (EMB) offices to institute reforms to avoid alleged red tapes like posting of huge FLOW CHARTS for basic requirements in the acquisition of permits

“Flowcharts must supposedly be posted conspicuously in public, open spaces in their respective offices including how much official payments required for transparency but all of these reforms we are calling for years have fallen into deaf ears”, Floricipinas Baguio, Caraga Watch’s Advocacy and Communications Director said.

Earlier, Sister Lydia Lascano, ICM, Director for Social Action Center of the Diocese of Tandag chided concerned government agencies in the slow, no genuine processes in the declaration of different watershed areas in Caraga Region.

“Until now areas where mining and logging exist which are supposedly watershed areas brought confusion sometimes hated arguments between environmentalist and interest groups because government failed to identify officially which are watershed which are not”, Sister Lydia claimed.

Sister Lydia warned that she and her group will campaign against politicians who will run in the 2010 national elections who have no track record for real advocacy and asserts real protection of environment.

Former President Estrada in a speech before group of environmentalists in Puerto Princesa City recently urged Congress to conduct an inquiry into the cause of the flashfloods that inundated 22 provinces during the typhoon “Frank” that left almost 500 people dead and severely damaged millions worth of crops and infrastructure.

The former Chief Executive also challenged Congress to declare illegal logging as a heinous crime.

Estrada said the lawmakers must act accordingly and make the effort to save what is left of the country’s dwindling natural resources.