PNP one-strike policy also applies to illegal logging

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
October 18, 2012

CAMP SEC. RUPERTO K. KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte  –  The Police Regional Office 8 has expanded its one-strike policy from illegal gambling to illegal logging.

“This will ensure that our police units would also go after illegal loggers and this will keep police chiefs on their toes’, said Police Chief Superintendent Elmer Ragadio Soria, PRO8 regional director.

Soria added that the one-strike policy sought to reinforce and invigorate efforts against illegal logging by clearly defining leadership responsibilities of lower unit police commanders.

PRO8 is strictly implementing Executive Order 23 “Declaring a Moratorium on the Cutting and Harvesting of Timber in the Natural and Residual Forests and Creating the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force”, in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources leading to successful police operations against illegal logging activities.

“While there are no logging concessions in the region, police efforts to neutralize the presence of small time loggers resulted in 369 operations conducted, the arrest of 114 persons and confiscation of an estimated total of 136,355.82 board-feet of assorted lumber worth P4,082,951.65 from January 1 this year to date’”, Soria reported.

“The creation of Task Force “Kalibungan” (Kalikasan Teams) by this office and the firm directive to all police units to conduct relentless drive against illegal logging have lessened these nefarious activities.”, he averred.

Comparing PRO8’s accomplishment this year to the same period of last year, there is an increase of 24 or 27% on persons arrested and an increase of P657,781.10 or 19% on worth of lumbers confiscated.

Aside from sustained anti-illegal logging drive, the top police official also presented his office’ accomplishment to the PNP’s “Pulis Makakalikasan: 10 Milyong Puno Pamana sa Kinabukasan” program, the PNP’s tree planting program aiming to plant 10 million tree’s by February 2013 in exemplifying its organizational core value of being “makakalikasan”.

“Our policemen have planted a total of 418,886 seedlings or 94.85% compliance to the Chief PNP’s directive”, he noted.