By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan
A Palawan-based body tasked to manage natural resources in a protected area in the towns of El Nido and Taytay is eyeing charges against an Iloilo-based watercraft group after allegedly jet skiing in the area without permits.
These charges are based on Section 20(g) of Republic Act No. 7856 (National Integrated Protected Areas System or NIPAS Act of 1992), as amended by Republic Act No. 11038 (Expanded NIPAS Act of 2018).
The provision prohibits the operation of any motorized conveyance within the protected area without permission from the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB).
El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area (ENTMRPA) Supervisor Mildred Suza confirmed to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Palawan’s Committee on Environmental Protection on Tuesday, June 27, that 14 members of the Iloilo Watercraft Association (IWA) were spotted jet skiing within their protected area.
IWA conducted a medical mission at around that time in nearby Linapacan town.
Suza narrated that assistant supervisor Jenuel Casel and park rangers approached the Ilonggo group when they were spotted in the area to inform them that they were not allowed to ride their jet skis there.
The IWA members told Casel and the rangers that they coordinated with the El Nido town government and local stations of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard, but Suza told the provincial board that these offices denied the group’s claims.
Casel also told the board that the police and coast guard both snubbed their request for assistance in apprehending the group.
Jet skis were later spotted in another part of the ENTMRPA after the PAMO personnel’s initial approach with the group.
They were able to identify 7 out of the 14 members based on social media posts, including IWA founder Vincent Tajanlangit, Jerry Collado, Benjie Bastian, Dean Sanson, Julian Juan Tong, Ian Golez, and Paul Tinsay.
Suza mentioned that the Protected Area Management Office did reach out to the IWA members upon receiving the incident report, but there were no responses from their end.
Section 21 of the NIPAS Act of 1992, as amended by the Expanded NIPAS Act of 2018, imposes a penalty between ₱200,000 and ₱1 million or imprisonment between 1 to 6 years.
Committee chairperson, Palawan Board Member Ryan Maminta said that they would wait for the ENTMRPA-PAMB’s final recommendation before the provincial board takes its own further action on the matter.
Maminta had previously expressed that those involved in the controversy must be held accountable.
Daily Guardian has reached out to Tajanlangit for comment, but he has not responded as of this writing.
