7 DENR men abducted in Butuan

MANILA, Philippines - Seven employees of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), who are assigned to monitor the Task Force Watershed multi-sectoral checkpoint in Butuan City, were abducted by armed men early yesterday morning.

In a faxed message, Edilberto Buiser, DENR-Caraga executive director, informed the department’s central office in Quezon City that the abduction, which occurred at around 1 a.m., could be a result of their intensified forest protection efforts, specifically to protect the Taguibo River watershed reservation.

Buiser identified the seven DENR personnel as forester Gabriel Arlan, the team leader; Rito Espinido, Teofredo Pujadas, Emiliano Gatillo Jr., Efren Sabuero, Rudy Clar, and Eduardo Abogatal.

Buiser said Arlan was able to call hours after the kidnapping, saying they were in the mountains and that their abductors would relay their demand soon.

“Information indicated that on Oct. 20, an armed individual approached the team and requested the team’s permission to allow the passage of forest products through the checkpoint. The request was denied by our personnel,” Buiser said.

The DENR formed a crisis management committee to draw up plans and courses of action to assist the DENR-Caraga in resolving the incident.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza condemned “in the strongest terms possible this dastardly act,” and directed the DENR-Caraga to fully coordinate with police and military authorities for the speedy rescue of the abducted DENR personnel “who are out in the field doing their job of protecting the environment.”

Atienza said the government will not tolerate “this intimidation,” and that despite the incident, the enforcement of all DENR laws, rules, and regulations would continue.

For his part, DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Eleazar Quinto advised DENR personnel to take extra precautions to ensure their safety and to arrange for security escorts if necessary.

Quinto said the Task Force Watershed multi-sectoral checkpoint just recently transferred to Barangay Anticala in Butuan City from Barangay Pinaning amid reports of rampant illegal logging there.

“We are not threatened by what they (kidnappers) did. We will continue with our work, to enforce environmental laws,” Quinto said.

“We are exercising all efforts to rescue them. There are no demands yet (from the kidnappers) as of press time,” he said.

“We still have to know who really got them because the area is rebel-infested but at the same time there are certain sectors there like illegal miners and illegal loggers,” said Senior Superintendent Samuel Yordan of the Region 13 police command. – With Edith Regalado, Cecille Suerte Felipe and wire reports