Masungi alleged that one of the attackers was an employee of Erin’s Place resort. The resort’s management received a cease-and-desist order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in July 2021 for building an illegal structure inside a protected area.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 19) — Conservation group Masungi Georeserve on Saturday said seven of its rangers were attacked by a mob, with two ending up hospitalized.
The organization said about 30 attackers “harassed and detained” its rangers while they were just eating at a food stall Friday morning.
“When the rangers refused to be accosted without a warrant or due cause, the mob of about 30 people ganged up, clobbered, and mauled 7 rangers with fists and big rocks,” Masungi said.
Masungi added that another attacker was the individual earlier caught with freshly cut trees that were later confiscated and turned over to authorities.
The group shared footage of the attack as well as photos of its personnel’s injuries. It showed a scuffle, with some individuals blocking the way of the vehicle carrying the person taking the video.
Masungi trustee Ann Dumaliang told CNN Philippines that police responded to the incident but there were too many perpetrators to initiate arrests.
CNN Philippines has reached out to DENR Calabarzon and the resort’s management for comment.
This is just one of the many attacks that happened in the protected area in recent years.
READ: The fight to #SaveMasungi
❗️❗️❗️ILLEGAL RESORTS IN WATERSHED ATTACK MASUNGI RANGERS
February 19, 2022 – We deplore in the strongest terms yesterday’s horrific attack on our park rangers by people associated with illegal resorts in the Upper Marikina Watershed. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/n4pcmogjzw
— Masungi Georeserve (@MasungiGeo) February 19, 2022
Dumaliang appealed to the Philippine National Police (PNP) to “designate the Regional Mobile Force Battalion present in the area as official partners and active responders to environmental crime.”
The PNP has vowed to train forest rangers on protective measures after two of them were shot in the head while guarding the reforestation site.
