PAMBs hail SC for ‘Writ of Kalikasan’
Leading conservationists, led by protected area superintendents, recently passed a resolution commending the Supreme Court (SC) for launching the Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases.
The resolution was signed by 132 participants to the 2nd National Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) Summit held at the Montevista Resort in Calamba City, Laguna on April 27 and 28. The participants represented 47 protected areas nationwide and included representatives from non-government and people’s organizations, local government units, indigenous peoples, protected area superintendents (PASUs), and officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) including PASU of Region VI particularly at Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park.
In the resolution, the signatories expressed their deep and heartfelt appreciation to the SC in issuing the rules that would “push the boundaries for the delivery of justice in environmental issues.”
They also hailed the High Tribunal under the leadership of Chief Justice Reynato Puno and the 14 associate justices for initiating the creation of an environmental court system that would become fully operational with the promulgation of the Rules.
The signatories also committed to judiciously use the Rules for greater environmental good and “to utilize the resources available in (our) respective institutions to widely disseminate the rules to all environmental stakeholders.”
Various sectors of society have long anticipated the promulgation of the Rules after Puno announced his proposal for a “writ of kalikasan” in February of this year. The writ is the first and only one of its kind in the world, and is part of the SC’s comprehensive judicial reform program, particularly in the efforts to strengthen environmental justice.
Atty. Asis Perez, the U.S. Department of Interior’s in-country representative in the Sub-Committee who finalized the Rules, presented its provisions to the Summit participants.
The PAMB Summit was organized by the DENR’s Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), in partnership with Tanggol Kalikasan, as a follow-up to the 1st PAMB Summit held in Manila on February of 2009. This year’s Summit saw the participants exchange best practices and the adoption of a five-year consolidated action plan in the management of protected areas, as well as the documentation of activities in line with this year’s celebration of National Year of Biodiversity.
The “Writ of Kalikasan” had paved the way for the establishment of the “green court” that was mandated to resolve cases on environment within a period of 3 months only. Julian D. Amador DENR 6 Regional Executive Director had already informed the DENR-6 heads of office to be vigilant in their environmental law enforcement. “There is a hope for us to curtail all illegal perpetrators now that we have the “green court” as ally.