Even your enemies on Facebook might prove to be your friends. Fr. Pete Montallana, a forest watchdog and frequent critic of Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), posted photos of an illegal logging operation on Facebook recently and informed a DENR regional director. The photos showed logs floating on a river that is often used to transport illegally cut logs; he also said the logs were headed for a nearby town renowned as a transshipment point of illegal lumber. After receiving the tip, DENR dispatched men to recover the illegal lumber, at least 15,000 board feet, with more still needing to be measured.
It is notable that the DENR received the illegal logging tip via Fr. Montallana, who is chairman of a church-based forest watchdog organization, because he believes the DENR is not doing a good job of protecting forests in Philippines, and that the group is corrupt. "We thanked Fr. Pete Montallana for the information. He was instrumental in the bust," a DENR member told The Inquirer.
