Many have years, even decades of experience, in overcoming complicated and sometimes dangerous situations, in the name of protecting our shared natural heritage. We want to spotlight their remarkable contributions, and hopefully also inspire others to join the fight against wildlife crime.
Kanitha Krishnasamy, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia Director
WiSE Awards 2024
The awarding ceremony held 22 August 2024 in Quezon City. Five winners were recognized from the dozens of law enforcement individuals, groups and units who contributed to thousands of wildlife seizures in 2023 in the Philippines.The winners shone through groundbreaking and persistent investigations, new approaches and new enforcement units to address pressing areas of wildlife crime.
2024 Wildlife Sentinels
Innovation
PCOL Fernando Lacson Cunanan Jr.
Legislative Affairs Center, Directorate for Plans, Philippine National Police (PNP), Camp Rafael Crame, Quezon City.
Initiated the establishment of a Cyber Patrol Team under the Philippine National Police Maritime Group (PNP-MG). This is a specialized unit focused on searching, patrolling, and gathering information on wildlife crime to detect and prevent such illegal activities via social media platforms. He pushed for the first successful Cyber Patrol Team’s work to be replicated, and this contributed to the overall enforcement by PNP-MG, leading to a 29% increase in wildlife-related operations from 2022 to 2023.
PCOL Cunanan (left) receiving the award from Guest of Honor Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte (right)
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Impact
Philippine National Police – Maritime Group (PNP-MG)
A law enforcement group operating across the country and the agency behind 1,125 operations on wildlife crime, and the confiscation and rescue of 870 wildlife individuals from illegal wildlife trade. These successes also led to the arrest of 282 violators, and 261 cases filed in court. The PNP-MG performs police functions over Philippine territorial waters and rivers, ports and harbours and small islands, securing a total of 36,000 kilometres of coastlines.
PBGEN Jonathan A. Cabal, Director of PNP-MG speaking after accepting the award on behalf of the Unit
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Leadership
PMAJ Leoncio P. Alcantara Jr.
Station Chief, Olongapo City Maritime Police Station - Regional Maritime Unit 3 (RMU 3) of the Philippine National Police – Maritime Group (PNP-MG)
Team leader of the Philippines National Police Regional Maritime Unit 3 Cyber Patrol Team, a first-of-its-kind specialised unit tasked to operate on illegal wildlife trade in cyberspace. Under his leadership, the team successfully conducted 116 operations across several regions from 2022-2023, which paved the way for the national replication and adaptation of the Cyber Patrol Team.
Taken during PMAJ Alcantara Jr.’s speech after his recognition as winner
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COLLABORATION
Wildlife Regulation Section of the Wildlife Resources Division, Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
This unit was responsible for the creation and roll out of a tool that helps environment and law enforcement agencies with species identification, case monitoring and verification of wildlife crime. They conducted 11 advanced training on wildlife law enforcement tackling new developments on wildlife crime detection and investigation as well as updated rules and procedures in handling environmental crimes, to strengthen wildlife law enforcement and foster collaboration among law enforcement agencies
Wildlife Regulation Section Chief Nermalie Lita (left) receiving the award from panelist, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity Director Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim (right)
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INTEGRITY
Jewel De Jesus Padullon, Forest Ranger, Enforcement Division
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Office – Region XIII
Leading the 2-year case build-up against ‘Datu Kamandag’ and his accomplice in the face of danger, collecting evidence showing multiple violations from as early as 2017, and coordinating with various government agencies in debunking counterclaims by the offender, leading to their arrest and the rescue of 141 endemic Pit vipers.
Padullon emphasising commitment and passion for service in her speech upon accepting the award
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The 2024 Panel
- IMELDA V. ABAÑO, Founding President, Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists, Inc (PNEJ)
- KANITHA KRISHNASAMY, Director, TRAFFIC International Southeast Asia
- ALLISON LAJESKIE, Program Officer, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC
- DR. THERESA MUNDITA LIM, Executive Director, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
- ATTY. MARIA PAZ LUNA, Environmental Lawyer & Former Undersecretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources
The search for the 2025 Wildlife Sentinels will be announced soon. Follow us on our social media accounts and stay tuned!
Contact Us
For queries and clarification, please contact the Secretariat:
Myka Allam, Program Officer, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia:
Project taking charge
WiSe is developed under the project Taking Charge: Strengthening Criminal Justice Response to Wildlife Crime – a two-year project aimed at strengthening Philippine law enforcement agencies’ capacity to tackle wildlife crime. TRAFFIC’s strategy focuses on capacity building with enforcement agency staff at key intervention points: channels for the movement and sale of illegal wildlife in the Philippines under four objectives. Learn more about the project.
Supported by the US INL
Taking Charge is funded by the United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. The opinions, finds and conclusions stated herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.
About TRAFFIC
TRAFFIC is a leading non-governmental organisation working to ensure that trade in wild species is legal and sustainable, for the benefit of the planet and people. TRAFFIC has been working in Southeast Asia since 1991 and in the Philippines since 2016.
