(photo of www.pescp.org)
Jun Ariolo N. Aguirre
Pandan, Antique- Unabated logging and insurgencies including poor police enforcement of environmental laws are among the factors that hinders conservation efforts in Panay according to the 13th annual report of the German-funded Philippine Endangered Species and Conservation Project (PESCP) based here.
*In a 164 pages report copy of which was furnished to this writer, Thomas Kuenzel, a German project manager of the PESCP said that logging activities are associated with the insurgents also involving several barangay officials in Panay.
The PESCP is coordinating with Aklan State University, Department of Environment and Natural Resources,, Frankfurt Zoological Society in Germany, Ruhr University in Bochum Germany, and GTZ-ZIM to conserve several endangered specie in Panay specifically the conservation of writhed-billed hornbill considered as the second most critically endangered hornbill specie in the world.
In December 4, 2006, Kuenzel who is also an integrated expert of GTZ/CIM wrote a letter to Mayior Jose Christopher Varona of nearby Sebaste, Antique to act on the reported 'possible outbreak of violence' in his town.
"A suspected illegalist Jimmy 'Oto' Tenorio allegedly harassed PESCP community conservationist Val Romeo Agustin by drawing out 'talibong' of the suspect threatening to kill the latter," said Kuenzel.
Agustin was said to be suspected by Tenorio of informing the authorities about his logging activities and that it was ordered by an undisclosed barangay official of Sebaste.
In November 28, 2006 police auhtorities confiscated 715 board feet of illegally cut lumber in Sebaste where some 692 board feet of which was surrendered to the police bya certain Jessica Miraflores.
"We later learned that Tenorio and several of his band of followers are people who have been active combatants in the NPA, and who have fallen under the amnesty in the late 1990's," part of Kuenzel's letter to the mayor said.
In his editorial, Prof. Eberhard Curio project director of the PESCP said that when he was interviewed witht he world's premier science journal (Wegner and Scheimer 2002 Nature-416:669) he already expressed worry that conservationists in the Philippines are at risk from the threats of illegalists and insurgents.
"But I recieved letters from Philippine friends working for conservation in the country. Similarly, for reasons too obvious an ill-argued protests... being based on the misplaced argument that rebels would not be a 'barier to conservation' which is by and large true," he said.
Aside from insurgents, Curio also lamented the lack of sensitivity of some of the police enforcers in enforcing environment and forestry laws in Panay," he said.
Pandan, Antique- Unabated logging and insurgencies including poor police enforcement of environmental laws are among the factors that hinders conservation efforts in Panay according to the 13th annual report of the German-funded Philippine Endangered Species and Conservation Project (PESCP) based here.
*In a 164 pages report copy of which was furnished to this writer, Thomas Kuenzel, a German project manager of the PESCP said that logging activities are associated with the insurgents also involving several barangay officials in Panay.
The PESCP is coordinating with Aklan State University, Department of Environment and Natural Resources,, Frankfurt Zoological Society in Germany, Ruhr University in Bochum Germany, and GTZ-ZIM to conserve several endangered specie in Panay specifically the conservation of writhed-billed hornbill considered as the second most critically endangered hornbill specie in the world.
In December 4, 2006, Kuenzel who is also an integrated expert of GTZ/CIM wrote a letter to Mayior Jose Christopher Varona of nearby Sebaste, Antique to act on the reported 'possible outbreak of violence' in his town.
"A suspected illegalist Jimmy 'Oto' Tenorio allegedly harassed PESCP community conservationist Val Romeo Agustin by drawing out 'talibong' of the suspect threatening to kill the latter," said Kuenzel.
Agustin was said to be suspected by Tenorio of informing the authorities about his logging activities and that it was ordered by an undisclosed barangay official of Sebaste.
In November 28, 2006 police auhtorities confiscated 715 board feet of illegally cut lumber in Sebaste where some 692 board feet of which was surrendered to the police bya certain Jessica Miraflores.
"We later learned that Tenorio and several of his band of followers are people who have been active combatants in the NPA, and who have fallen under the amnesty in the late 1990's," part of Kuenzel's letter to the mayor said.
In his editorial, Prof. Eberhard Curio project director of the PESCP said that when he was interviewed witht he world's premier science journal (Wegner and Scheimer 2002 Nature-416:669) he already expressed worry that conservationists in the Philippines are at risk from the threats of illegalists and insurgents.
"But I recieved letters from Philippine friends working for conservation in the country. Similarly, for reasons too obvious an ill-argued protests... being based on the misplaced argument that rebels would not be a 'barier to conservation' which is by and large true," he said.
Aside from insurgents, Curio also lamented the lack of sensitivity of some of the police enforcers in enforcing environment and forestry laws in Panay," he said.
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