Giving teeth to environmental laws

[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]

[av_heading heading=’Giving teeth to environmental laws’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
EDITORIAL
[/av_heading]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
January 11, 2018
[/av_textblock]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 6 is strengthening its enforcement of environmental laws, rules and regulations by hiring more environmental lawyers – one lawyer for each provincial and community ENR office across Western Visayas.

The marching order for these lawyers is clear: prosecute violators of environmental laws by filing airtight cases. They will give teeth to environmental law enforcement.

It’s a laudable move. As the protector of natural resources in Western Visayas, DENR faces a lot of challenges in the performance of its mandate. Threats to the environment are “ever growing”, stated a news release from the regional office. With the power given to them, environmental lawyers will be DENR’s “No. 1 one soldier” in protecting natural resources, says Regional Director Jim Sampulna. This legal proactive measure finds support in the Supreme Court’s adoption of the precautionary principle, and introduction of novel remedies such as the writ of Kalikasan and continuing mandamus, and environmental protection orders.

On the flipside, however, we see the threats “ever growing” as perhaps a result of weak information, education and communication programs about the environment. Surely, we won’t be needing a lot of lawyers to prosecute environmental criminals if people are well-informed of the benefits of protecting the environment and if they take to heart their responsibility to ensure that future generations would continue to benefit from a healthy ecology.

We are all aware that it is our duty to protect the environment but we must be more proactive and creative in engaging citizens, especially the youth. We have to explain the benefits of taking care of the environment and our responsibility to ensure its conservation.

We aim to restore and enhance the quality of our environment and we also hope to inculcate in everyone the real value of our rich biodiversity, that protecting the environment is our responsibility as stewards of the Earth, and that we must learn to co-exist with nature.
[/av_textblock]

[/av_one_full]