By Katrina Gracia Consebido
Around 30 armed men have been encamped in the vicinity of Masungi Georeserve in Baras Rizal since last week, according to the conservation foundation.
In a Facebook post, the Masungi Georeserve Foundation said the armed men were reportedly associated with Sinagtala Security Agency Services and arrived “to take over huge tracts of land in the protected area and are selling them to third parties.”
“The area is part of Masungi’s conservation site, the Kaliwa Watershed protected area, and is legally titled to the Republic of the Philippines since the 1950s. It is being conserved and reforested by our team under an agreement with [the] government,” the foundation wrote.
The Masungi Georeserve Foundation called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Philippine National Police to take immediate action to stop the ongoing invasion.
“This is a critical area for the wildlife sanctuary and the consequences of losing this area once again will set back forest protection and be a huge injustice to Filipinos.”
Investigation underway
The DENR assured that it is investigating the alleged presence of an armed group in a part of the Masungi Georeserve.
The agency said it has already deployed authorities in the area. However, based on the DENR’s initial investigation, the spot where the armed men have been encamping is not included in the protected area. – gbÂ
