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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
First Regular Session 
) 
7 tJIJL -2 i:7 :'!./ 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
It is the policy of the State to protect and conserve its valuable water 
resources. 
Thus, the government has the fundamental duty of ensuring 
adequate and sate water supply for domestic, agricultural, industrial, and other 
needs of the country. 
Because of the threatened depletion of our resources caused by a 
burgeoning population, greater exploitative activity and higher industrialization, 
government must renew and improve its efforts to prevent this cycle. A growing 
general awareness among the people has likewise prompted vigilant 
environmental groups and concerned individuals to seek stronger and more 
effective intervention by the government for improved management as well as 
rationalized use of these resources. 
Republic Act 7586, or the "National Integrated Protected Areas System 
(NIPAS) Act of 1992 recognized the immense importance of watersheds and 
other areas classified as protected areas in the maintenance of a healthy 
environment. The law underscored the urgent need to protect and conserve 
these areas by placing them under the administration and management of the 
NIPAS. However, the definition and provision of penalties for specific destructive 
activities within these areas must be addressed by further legislation. 
This proposed bill focuses on one such major destructive activity by 
defining the offense of illegal logging within protected areas and providing 
penalties for its commission. The early enactment of this bill is sought to ensure 
proper protection, conservation and development of our valuable water resources 
for the benefit of our people and of future generations. 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
) 
7 JUL -2 p -j . , .; 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
DEFINING THE OFFENSE OF ILLEGAL LOGGING IN WATERSHEDS AND 
OTHER PROTECTED AREAS AND PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR 
Be if 
enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of 
the State to protect, conserve and develop water resources for human 
consumption, irrigation, hydro-electric power generation, inland fisheries, 
biodiversity and for other beneficial purposes, and to these ends, the cutting and 
felling of trees within watershed and other protected areas as prohibited. 
SEC 2. Illegal Logging in Watersheds and Other Protected Areas. - It 
is hereby declared unlawful for any person to cut or fell trees for any purpose 
whatsoever within watersheds and other protected areas. 
SEC 3. Penalties. - Violation of Section 2 hereof shall be punished with 
reclusion perpetua. 
No mitigating circumstances whatsoever shall be 
appreciated in favor of the offender. 
In addition to the prison term, the offender shall indemnify the Republic of 
the Philippines in an amount ten ( I O )  times the value of the illegally cut trees. 
If the offender is a corporation, partnership or other juridical person, the 
Chief Executive Officer thereof, whether the Chairman, President or General 
Manager, shall be criminally liable in the commission of the offense penalized 
under this Act. 
If the crime herein-mentioned is committed by a public officer, he shall, in 
addition to the foregoing penalties, be perpetually disqualified from holding public 
office. 
SEC 4. Suspension of Licenses. - Upon the filing of the necessary 
information in court, the government prosecutor shall, if the offender is a 
corporation, partnership or other juridical person to whom a license agreement, 
lease permit to utilize forest resources within any forest land has been granted, 
forward a copy of the information to the Department of Environment and Natural 
Resources (DENR). Upon receipt thereof, the DENR shall immediately cause 


the suspension of the license agreement, lease or permit, as the case may be, of 
the offender until termination of the criminal case. 
In case of the offender is acquitted, the suspension shall be ordered lifted. 
Otherwise, the license, lease or permit shall be ordered cancelled. 
SEC 5. The Indeterminate Sentence Law shall not be applicable to the 
offense punished in this Act. 
SEC 6. Forfeiture of the Instrument of the Crime. - Any tool, 
equipment or vehicle used in the cutting and transport of the illegally cut trees 
shall be automatically forfeited in favor of the government. 
SEC 7. Separability Clause. - If for any reason, any portion or provision 
of this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, such part not affected thereby 
shall remain in full force and effect. 
SEC 8. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive 
orders, issuances, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SEC 9. €ffectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
complete publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,