By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
The Department and Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 4-A has seized illegally sourced lumber, charcoal, and other illegal logging equipment that were found in a protected area in Rizal.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (MANILA BULLETIN)
Through the Rizal Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), 350 board feet of lumber, 104 sacks of charcoal, and five units of illegal logging equipment, with an estimated value of P102,370 have been recently confiscated.
The forest products and equipment found within a protected area were proclaimed as abandoned and are currently in the custody of the PENRO Rizal for safekeeping. An administrative confiscation proceeding headed by PENRO Rizal will be conducted for appropriate storage and disposal of the seized items.
DENR-Regional Executive Director Gilbert Gonzales has called on the PENROs and City Environment and Natural Resources Offices to strictly monitor the protected areas in their jurisdiction especially during the community quarantine.
Anyone who will be caught cutting and transporting forest products without the necessary permits will be charged for violation of Section 77 of the Republic Act (RA) 7161, formerly Section 68, Presidential Decree 705 or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines. The use of unregistered chainsaws will also be charged for violation of RA 9175, also known as the Chain Saw Act of 2002.
In a related report, the DENR-National Capital Region has donated assorted logs with an equivalent volume of 2,198.40 board feet and estimated value of P114,316.80 to the Regional Mobile Force Battalion of the Philippine National Police-NCR Police Office
The logs will be used to renovate police barracks at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City, and in creating double-deck bunk beds for police frontliners stationed at quarantine checkpoints set up in the boundaries of Metro Manila.
DENR-Regional Executive Director Jacqueline Caancan said the donation is but a small expression of appreciation to the frontliners who work round-the-clock to keep the community safe in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.