Philippines Issues Regulation Establishing Administrative Procedures for Enforcing Environmental Crimes

On January 21, 2026, the Philippines issued Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order No. 2026-04, titled “Adoption of the Environment and Natural Resources Law Enforcement Manual of Operations (ELEMO).” The ELEMO is a technical document that consolidates enforcement rules and practices derived from existing environmental laws across five major environmental law sectors. The Order takes effect 15 days after publication in a general circulation newspaper and upon filing with the Office of the National Administrative Register (ONAR) and the University of the Philippines Law Center.