Environmental law enforcement nationwide will be governed by a new operational standard for investigations, arrests, and prosecution of environmental crimes as the government moves to treat offenses such as illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, and pollution as public safety and national security concerns.
Under the new policy, formally known as the Environment and Natural Resources Law Enforcement Manual of Operations (ELEMO), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will implement standardized procedures for surveillance, pre-operation planning, apprehensions, administrative confiscations, evidence handling, and case build-up in environmental law enforcement nationwide.
“By standardizing procedures nationwide, we ensure that every enforcement action — whether a forest patrol in the uplands or an anti-pollution operation in a major city — follows the same legally sound, transparent, and accountable process,” DENR Secretary Juan Miguel T. Cuna said in a statement.
The DENR said the manual seeks to address long-standing inconsistencies in enforcement practices among regional and field offices, where varying operational capacities and differing interpretations of rules have affected investigations and case handling.
Under the new framework, standardized procedures are expected to strengthen responses to violations involving forestry, biodiversity, mining, waste and pollution management, land administration, and easement concerns.
According to the DENR, the policy would help personnel conduct faster investigations, preserve evidence, maintain chains of custody, prepare stronger cases for prosecution, and improve coordination between regional offices and national enforcement priorities.
The agency also described environmental crimes as public safety and national security concerns, citing illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, destructive mining, and pollution as contributors to disaster risks, community vulnerability, and economic losses.
The manual also provides guidelines for coordination with local government units, law enforcement agencies, indigenous communities, and civil society organizations, including informant reward systems to encourage reporting of environmental violations.
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