Manila, May 14 -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has adopted a new nationwide enforcement manual aimed at tightening case build-up for environmental crimes and strengthening coordination across its field offices.

In a news release Thursday, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said the manual, formally known as the Environment and Natural Resources Law Enforcement Manual of Operations (ELEMO), is now the "DENR's primary standard for everything from pre operation planning and surveillance to arrests, administrative confiscations, evidence handling, and prosecution".

"By standardizing procedures nationwide, we ensure that every enforcement action whether a forest patrol in the uplands or an anti pollution ope...