Former President Benigno S. Aquino’s Executive Order 23 dated February 2011 declaring a moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forests, thus creating the anti-illegal logging task force, is one for the birds.
Yes, a total log ban law will never work in the country. It will only encourage more illegal loggers to continue with their nefarious activities.
And should they pursue cutting down trees, do you expect them to do replanting efforts after?
No, they will simply proceed to other wooded places to cut some more. But if we issue logging permits to responsible concessionaires who in turn will embark on replanting activities in the same area where they cut trees, then a manageable solution is doable.
Observe this report by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies why a total log ban is a failure: “EO 23 failed not only to achieve its objectives of reversing the trend of deforestation in the country but also caused damaging unintended economic and social consequences, including disruption of wood processing enterprises and increased corruption activities in the wood industry.”
PIDS research fellow Vic Paqueo and senior research fellow Danilo Israel said the previous leadership did not foresee the creation of lucrative opportunities and incentives that led to bribery and corruption among key players during the implementation of the total log ban.
And since the implementation of EO 23, there have been a decline on the number of wood-processing enterprises in the Caraga Region, from 119 establishments in 2010 to just 27 recently.
Also, a recorded surge in corruption and rent-seeking activities between government regulators and associations. The cost to transport wood passing through checkpoints and the cost one pays at weighbridges have also increased.
In addition, the cost of doing business have increased as well in production from the side of suppliers and for consumers have made the logging and wood industry uncompetitive. Paqueo and Israel have suggested that policymakers should do away with registration, inventory, and permit requirements for the harvest and transport of trees as they create more damage than good by increasing rent extraction.
Well-managed logging concessions with a main program of replanting and reforestation is the key for a successful logging industry.
Gun the ban
Gun bans and advocates of a gunless society can never achieve its purpose. Why? Because it is a known fact that criminals never obey gun bans – or the realization of a gunless society, if one should see a bigger picture.
Gun bans only affect law-abiding citizens who go through legal avenues to obtain firearms.
Matter of fact, it is the criminals who rejoice each time a gun ban is imposed during an election period. Because their criminal activities will never see any threat from responsible gun owners who obey the law.
The key is to have the training for proper handling of firearms and to always have the self-restraint in using them unless one is in the middle of a life and death situation. But criminals who go through illegal avenues to get firearms never subject themselves to background checks.
In fact, they have possession of firearms either by illegal underground sales, theft, from victims, from the scene of a crime, or even as a gift. But even if criminals submit themselves to background checks, these aren’t effective at stopping those who intend to use guns to commit crimes.
Only law-abiding citizens have to go through this like the LTOPF (License to Own and Possess Firearms). These same citizens must be responsible at all times when carrying firearms.
Hence, it makes sense that criminals would be far less likely to commit a crime if they know their victim might be armed. It is a fact that criminals actually fear armed citizens more than they fear the police. So, does banning guns reduce crime? The answer is no.
And the other solution may be crime control. Enforcing existing laws aimed at criminals who carry and use firearms to commit crimes. And lastly, responsible gun ownership must always be in the heart and mind of each citizen carrying one.
One dead Filipino is one too many
It is sad to note that many of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s fanatics have now gone to the gutter to insult the first couple for the many things they do together like go out on a date or watch a concert, or even attend a feeding program or a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
It’s not like they skipped honoring the arrival of dead Filipino heroes at the tarmac so they could inaugurate a car-manufacturing plant.
No, their actions are well accepted and expected as a couple. Funny, when the former president launched his vituperative attacks and insulted God, they were all too quiet and perhaps even approved of it.
And recently, many were even angered because of President Marcos’ statement that the killing of a Filipino from the actions of harassing Chinese sailors in the open seas would translate to an act of war.
I have only this to say to them: the death of one (unarmed) Filipino in the hands of a bullying superpower is just one too many. And yes, it is an act of war.
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Factoid: Historians will agree that Philippine history is filled with a lot of traitors. It was a Filipino – Teodoro Patino who exposed the Katipunan (KKK) to Spanish authorities. Also, the death of Andres Bonifacio is still a controversy to this very day, pointing to Emilio Aguinaldo as the mastermind of the assassination. Aguinaldo himself was not exempted from backfighting. While hiding in the mountains of Palanan, Isabela in 1901, Aguinaldo was captured by Filipino soldiers who defected to the American side. His Filipino captors dressed up as soldiers of the Philippine revolution, while Brig. Gen. Frederick Funston pretended to be a POW.
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