Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Chief Roy Cimatu considers going as far as providing arms for its foresters following the recent conflict between the military and New People’s Army rebels in Palawan.
Accompanied by key directors during his visit at the local DENR offices in the region over the weekend, Cimatu said that this is to defend themselves in upland Kasibu, a conflicted area in provincial Palawan.
“I don’t want anyone being killed or shot like the one which happened in Palawan where one of our foresters was shot,” he told reporters at the venue, advising foresters tasked to do frontline services to skip work in the conflict zone since the encounter.
On the other hand, environment advocate group Tayo Kalikasan Movement called out the DENR Chief to focus on adopting sustainable mining solutions for the environment’s protection since its rehabilitation is yet not in its “point of no return.”
