The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have resolved 56 environmental complaints filed by DENR Region VI before the Office of the Prosecutor in Aklan as of 28 November 2025.

The DOJ said this development was reported during the Region VI Cascading Workshop on Environmental Case Build-Up held in Iloilo City from 1 to 3 December 2025.

The activity is part of the implementation of the DENR–DOJ Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on 21 February 2025 and follows the Regional Case Build-Up Workshop for seven priority regions earlier conducted in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

The workshop was jointly organized by the DENR and the DOJ and brought together 204 participants from both agencies, making it the largest cascading workshop conducted under the MOA to date.

DENR Assistant Secretary Michelle Angelica Go said the number of resolved cases highlights the importance of coordinated case build-up between investigators and prosecutors, particularly in preparing cases that can withstand judicial review.

Deputy State Prosecutor Margaret Castillo-Padilla, Head of the DOJ–National Prosecution Service Task Force on Environmental Cases, cited the DENR’s logistical and financial support as a key factor in the conduct of the workshops, which allow prosecutors to directly train DENR field personnel in case preparation.

Castillo-Padilla reported that since the signing of the MOA, nine workshops have been conducted nationwide, consisting of two regional workshops and seven cascading workshops.

She added that the resolution of the Aklan cases reflects the impact of DOJ Department Circular No. 20-B, which institutionalizes early coordination between investigators and prosecutors in the handling of environmental crimes.