Pangilinan seeks environmental summit

Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan asked President Arroyo yesterday to hold an environmental summit to address the prevalent problem of illegal logging and ensure the protection of the environment for generations to come.

Pangilinan said such a summit is necessary to enable the executive and legislative departments of government as well as local government units (LGUs) to find "common measures" to prevent another tragedy of landslides that claimed the lives of hundreds of people in eastern Luzon, which bore the brunt of two weeks of relentless storms.

For instance, he said the idea of "giving police power" to local communities should be "explored."

"We need to maintain the momentum of cooperation," Pangilinan said. "We cannot leave it to (the national) government alone. There must be a working consensus among all stakeholders to find solutions that will include reforestation, changes in existing laws and ensuring that there be penalties for those who evade the law."

He cited the preservation of the Batangas Bay and the watershed in Davao City has been made possible through strong partnership in the local level, including LGUs, the fisher folk and concerned nongovernment organizations.

"This formula must be duplicated in the efforts to protect forest covers nationwide. Without the support and mobilization of local communities, any national campaign will fail," Pangilinan warned.

That in every crisis an opportunity to unite comes, he urged concerned government officials to stop pointing fingers and instead focus on seeking justice to the many lives lost in the wake of storms "Winnie," "Unding" and "Violeta." The last, super typhoon "Yoyong" blew out of the country but not without leaving fatalities due to landslides and other causes.

"The pain and grieving of the families will not be allayed by excuses," Pangilinan said.

The public, meanwhile, must come out to report what they know of politicians involved in illegal logging, he said.

"I urged concerned citizens to report to my office, to the Office of the Ombudsman, to the police, any politician or public official engaged in illegal logging and quarrying which have contributed to the tragic deaths of these typhoon victims," he said.

He added that no one should use his government position to condone, participate and profit from the destruction of the environment.

"This is not just corruption, but corruption with an intent to kill," Pangilinan said. "For every tree cut, a life is endangered and in this case, lives were lost."

"This was mother nature’s message for all of us. It cannot be ignored that logging, whether legal or illegal, has had a hand in the destruction to life and property," he said.

The senator also noted that the penalties for illegal logging "have been too weak to sanction violators."

He cited Republic Act 9175, or the Chainsaw Act of 2002 that penalizes unauthorized use of chainsaws, wherein the punishment is only between six to eight years imprisonment, or a fine between P30,000 and P50,000.

In Presidential Decree 705, or the Revised Forestry Code, the penalty ranges from only P500 to P20,000 and imprisonment between six months to two years.

Pangilinan also expressed fears that by the time the debate on total or selective log ban is resolved, "it might be too late." Then there is the eternal problem of authorities falling short in the "no-nonsense enforcement" of laws.

"Enforcing the law on illegal logging in banned areas must be implemented in full. The DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources), the Philippine National Police and the LGUs must be given enough support to achieve this," he stressed.