DENR chief urges transparency in Asian timber trade

Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes called yesterday for transparency in timber trade among Asian countries as he vowed to prevent the Philippines from becoming a destination and transshipment point for smuggled timber shipped by foreign illegal logging syndicates.

In a speech during the closing of the second working meeting of the task force and advisory group of the East Asia and Pacific-Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (EAP-FLEG) in Manila, Reyes said he would work closely with his Asian counterparts to protect the country from illegal shipments of timber.

Reyes, who was former chief of the National Anti- Smuggling Task Force, then pressed for reforms that promote transparency in timber trade in every Asian country.

He cited the need for EAP-FLEG countries to have improved access to real-time data on forest resources coming in and out of their borders.

"The sharing of information on the movement of timber and timber products is one area that we in the East Asia FLEG must be fully committed to. We must finalize plans for acceptable levels and procedures for information sharing," Reyes said.

As for the Philippines, Reyes noted the planned creation of a "coordinating protection agency" under the Office of the President, which he believed would aid the objectives of the EAP-FLEG.

The proposed agency would be tasked to "institutionalize the participation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and other government agencies involved in the enforcement of forestry laws."

The proposed agency, Reyes said, would need the inclusion of officials from the Anti-Money Laundering Task Force to track down financiers of big-time illegal logging activities both here and abroad.