Since the creation of their association, 15 activists have been killed for patrolling, like them, in the forest in search of illegal loggers.
In the archipelago, hundreds of environmental defenders have been killed. They are activists or ordinary residents who opposed projects they considered destructive to nature.
Eduardo G. Corona, of the Palawan NGO Network, told franceinfo that Ruben Arzaga was killed by a bullet to the head.
The authorities often claim that environmental struggles are political. They often remain indifferent to the murders of environmental defenders.
Their colleagues have most often been shot dead, while on operation or at their homes.
Residents are opposing mining companies to defend their land. They are also opposing the illegal felling of trees.
The Philippines is one of the countries most affected by deforestation in the world.
Each time they set out on an operation in the Philippine jungle, these defenders know they are risking their lives.
More than 200 environmental defenders have been killed in the Philippines in recent years, according to franceinfo, which draws on a television newscast aired on November 9, 2026. Ruben Arzaga is among the victims. When they are not killed, they are assaulted."I really thought they were going to kill me,"said Eco Dangla, an environmental defender.