Wildlife Sentinel Award Philippines honours enforcers who clinched wins against illegal wildlife trade

The first award of its kind in the country, WiSe recognises the exemplary contributions of law enforcement officers who have gone above and beyond in their duties.

Established by TRAFFIC under a project funded by the United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the award also encourages continued progress and commitment towards stamping out wildlife crime.

A panel of esteemed judges* conferred five awards under the themes of Innovation, Collaboration, Impact, Integrity and Leadership at a ceremony in Quezon City in the Philippine capital of Manila.

The winners were from among the dozens of law enforcement individuals, groups and units who contributed to thousands of wildlife seizures that occurred in 2023 in the Philippines, through groundbreaking and persistent investigations, and new approaches and even entirely new enforcement units to address pressing areas of wildlife crime.

“The achievements we celebrate today are reflections of what’s possible when we all work together”, said Quezon City Mayor, Josefina Belmonte in her opening address at the awards ceremony.

“To all those working tirelessly to protect our natural world, your dedication inspires us all reminding us that while the challenges are great, our collective will to protect and preserve is even greater,” she told the audience of about one hundred law enforcement officers gathered for the ceremony.

The winners received a medal carrying a stylised symbol of the Award and icon of the country’s rich biodiversity, the Philippine Pangolin; one among several endemic and Critically Endangered species threatened by illegal trade.

The winners under the five themes were:

• INNOVATION: PCOL Fernando Lacson Cunanan Jr.  (Individual winner)

Legislative Affairs Center, Directorate for Plans, Philippine National Police (PNP), Camp Rafael Crame, Quezon City.

• IMPACT: Philippine National Police – Maritime Group (PNP-MG), represented by Brigadier General Jonathan Cabal, Director of PNP-MG (Unit winner)

• LEADERSHIP:  PMAJ Leoncio P. Alcantara Jr. (Individual winner)

Station Chief, Olongapo City Maritime Police Station - Regional Maritime Unit 3 (RMU 3), Philippine National Police – Maritime Group (PNP-MG) 

• COLLABORATION: Wildlife Regulation Section of the Wildlife Resources Division (Unit winner)

  Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), represented by Nemalie Lita, Chief of Wildlife Regulation Section

• INTEGRITY: Jewel De Jesus Padullon, Forest Ranger, Enforcement Division, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Office – Region XIII 

The victories celebrated by the Award brought the critical importance of enforcement against wildlife crime and the serious challenges facing those at the frontline into sharper focus.  

“We saw so many inspiring achievements this past year from all the nominees. Many have years, even decades of experience, in overcoming complicated and sometimes dangerous situations, in the name of protecting our shared natural heritage,” said Kanitha Krishnasamy, TRAFFIC Director for Southeast Asia

 Some of them took years before they saw success. So, this shout out is to everyone: the winners, the nominees, and many other unsung heroes who go out every day to protect wildlife and nature,” she added.

Winners gave short acceptance speeches after receiving their medals:

PCOL Fernando Lacson Cunanan Jr.  Legislative Affairs Center, Directorate for Plans, Philippine National Police (PNP), Camp Rafael Crame, Quezon City:

“Our Cyber Patrol Units aim to disrupt the sophisticated networks of illegal wildlife traders hiding on the web. These criminals exploit the internet to evade justice making it imperative for us to harness the same tools they use in order for us to protect our natural heritage.”

Brigadier General Jonathan Cabal, Director of the Philippine National Police – Maritime Group

“This award is a reminder that while we have made progress there is still much work to be done to protect our maritime environment and ensure the safety of our waters. I am more motivated than ever to continue our efforts and to inspire others to join us in this difficult mission.”

PMAJ Leoncio P. Alcantara Jr. Station Chief, Olongapo City Maritime Police Station - Regional Maritime Unit 3 (RMU 3), Philippine National Police – Maritime Group

“As we reflect on this accomplishment it is clear that while we have made significant progress our work is far from finished. The achievements we celebrate today give us hope and remind us of what is possible when we unite for a common cause.”

Nemalie Lita, Chief of Wildlife Regulation Section of the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)

“Thank you to Wise for recognizing our efforts to do all this capacity building work to strengthen enforcement. We will continue to collaborate with our partners to have more capacity building to help our enforcement officers to strengthen their capacity.”

Jewel De Jesus Padullon, Forest Ranger, Enforcement Division, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Office – Region XIII

“Passion and commitment have been the driving force behind our success and continue to inspire us every day. This award is a tribute to the collective effort of everyone dedicated to wildlife conservation. Let us move forward with renewed vigour knowing that every challenge overcome, brings us closer to a world where our natural world thrives in harmony.”