“I think we should preserve our last frontier and protect it for our best interest as a nation. If national security is our primary concern then it is not the rebel groups that we should be worried about but the destruction of our remaining ecosystem, our environment,” said Hotchkiss.
The retired general pointed out that during his term as the PAF commander he emphasized the importance of the environment and its protection.
“When I was young, as I fly by Caraga region, I was keen to observe its changes over the past few years. Can’t imagine the devastation we had brought upon our region’s rich natural ecosystem, our rainforest, rivers and mountains destroyed in just several years,” he said.
Hotchkiss also cited the recent standoff at the Scarborough or Panatag Shoal between the Philippines and China.
“The recent incident over the Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal proves that even China acknowledge the need for these natural reserves, as the areas are rich in marine and mineral reserves. Unless our government would act for its proper protection, we will lose this forever and other countries would benefit from it,” he said.
Hotchkiss and several groups in Surigao are now working for the protection of Mount Hilong-hilong which was recently declared as a key biodiversity area in the Philippines.
The mountain straddles Surigao and Agusan del Norte.
Since the 1990s, the US has also paid attention to the implications of environment issues like global warming on national security.
An April 16, 2007 report by the Environment News Service (http://www.
