ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Zamboanga police have launched manhunt operations against mangrove poachers who mauled and hacked an environment protection personnel at the Zamboanga City mangrove conservation site last week.
Police stepped up their operations following a directive from Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar who visited the injured OCENR personnel at the hospital on Wednesday, May 23.
Climaco-Salazar also ordered the police to intensify security operations after her visit to the mangrove site in Barangay Talon Talon with Zamboanga City Police Acting Director P/Col. Alexander Lorenzo and OCENR chief Engr. Rey Gonzales.
Edison Faustino Delos Reyes, a job order employee at the Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR), was guarding the area when he was mauled and hacked by unidentified poachers.
Delos Reyes ordered the poachers to leave the area after he caught the latter in the act of cutting mangrove trees (bakawan).
Climaco praised the courage of the injured personnel and his dedication to his work of protecting the environment against illegal poachers.