SLAY OF FOREST ACTIVIST WONT STOP WORK TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—The campaign against illegal logging by the regional Department of Environment and Natural Resources would proceed despite the murder of an environment official believed related to the war on timber poaching, a regional DENR official said. DENR Regional Executive Director Primitivo Galinato Jr. on Tuesday said the death of Pierre Gillo, 51, would not affect their drive against individuals or groups engaged in illegal logging. Gillo, officer in charge of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in Sta. Rita, Samar, was shot dead by unidentified assailants on a motorcycle last February 25 outside his house in V&G Subdivision in Tacloban City. Police said the assailants used a .45-cal. pistol. “Certainly, we’re alarmed over the killing of (Gillo) who was one of the most dedicated and active Cenro here in the region. But his death will not stop us in our campaign in protecting our natural resources,” Galinato said on Tuesday. Senior Superintendent Wilson Caubat, Tacloban city police director, said Gillo might have been killed because of his relentless campaign against illegal loggers in Santa Rita. But in an interview over station dyVL on Tuesday, Caubat declined to provide further information as they were still gathering information on the killing of Gillo, the first Cenro officer gunned down in Eastern Visayas. The region has 11 Cenro officers. Galinato said he hoped that the investigation conducted by the police with the National Bureau of Investigation would yield positive results to give justice to Gillo’s family. Galinato said he was convinced Gillo was killed due to his campaign against illegal-logging activity in Santa Rita, some 40 kilometers away from the Tacloban City. “He was very active in law enforcement on illegal-logging activity,” Galinato said. Gillo’s remains were taken to his native town of Balangiga, Eastern Samar. He will be buried on Saturday.
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 21:19:23 +0000
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