US funds green law enforcement
THE UNITED States will allocate an additional $500,000 (P28 million) to support law enforcement initiatives combating environmental crimes in Palawan, the US Embassy in Manila said on Tuesday.
In a statement, the embassy said the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) handed over three Starlink satellite internet terminals to the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD).
The INL initiated its environmental justice partnership with the council in 2019, contributing P28 million that year to aid local Palawan law enforcement offices in addressing environmental justice issues.
“The continuation of this environmental justice project will enable INL to provide more equipment and capacity building assistance to PCSD and its partners, including technical exchanges between local environmental law enforcement officials and US Forest Service officials,” the embassy said.
Throughout the partnership, the Palawan office implemented new evidence management policies related to environmental crimes through assistance from the US agency.
“We believe that through our shared experiences and resources, we can make significant strides in preserving our natural environment for future generations,” INL Deputy Director Luke Bruns said of the collaboration for environmental justice. — John Victor D. Ordoñez