Five regions in the country have been identified where the build-up of environmental cases will be enhanced, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
In a statement, the DOJ said the five regions were identified during a high-level meeting held between the agency and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) last April 7. The meeting was led by DOJ Undersecretary Jesse Hermoges T. Andres.
These regions are Region1, Ilocos Region; Region IV-A, Southern Tagalog; Region IV-B, Mimaropa; Region VI, Western Visayas; and Region XII, South Central Mindanao.
In a statement, the DOJ said the meeting was held following the Feb. 21 memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed by the two agencies that established closer coordination and collaboration in prosecuting environmental cases.
“Both agencies emphasized the need to prioritize enforcement efforts in high-risk areas and to pursue indictable cases, drawing on the successful Boracay rehabilitation model and expanding it to other coastal and environmentally sensitive regions,” it said.
During the meeting, the DOJ said that “DENR Regional Executive Directors (REDs) were directed to coordinate closely with DOJ Regional Prosecutors (RPs) to proactively collaborate and conduct case build-up of environmental cases, particularly in the five initially identified regions, i.e., Regions I, IV-A, IV-B, VI, and XII.”
It also said that it was agreed that prosecutors will lead regional workshops “to strengthen case build-up and inter-agency coordination.”
Undersecretary Andres reminded that “environmental offenses are not only violations of special laws but may also serve as predicate crimes for money laundering, emphasizing the broader legal impact of effective prosecution.”
He said the MOA shows “the Philippine government is serious in enforcing environmental justice.”
“We are strengthening our institutions by strengthening our partnership with the CSOs (civil society organizations), the law enforcers and the prosecutors,” he also said.
He explained that “this MOA will help operationalize the DOJ’s case build-up policy under Department Circular No. 20-B, ensuring that environmental cases brought before our prosecutors are backed by solid evidence that can stand in court.”
He also said that the MOA provides for the training of prosecutors and law enforcers on environmental crimes, funding for inter-agency meetings, case conferences, and even logistical support to ensure that prosecutors and enforcers can attend court hearings together.
Also part of MOA is the drafting of guidelines for the deputization of DENR lawyers as special prosecutors for wildlife and forestry cases, he added.