A barangay councilor and his companion have been arrested during an entrapment operation in Tacloban City for the alleged sale of illegally cut lumber from banned tree species known as “Magkuno” or “Iron Wood,” the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said.

In a statement, NBI Officer-in-Charge Director Eric B. Distor identified those arrested last Jan. 17 as Clyde Rey Balaan, barangay councilor and resident of Lianga, Surigao del Sur, and Elward Lomongcon.

They were arrested during an entrapment operation conducted by the NBI’s Eastern Visayas Regional Office (NBI-EVRO), the NBI said.

“Seized from the Subjects were P900,000 marked money, one (1) unit wing van, 12-wheeler truck and thirteen (13) pieces ‘Magkuno/Iron Wood’ lumbers,” it said.

It also said: “The wing van and the thirteen (13) pieces ‘Magkuno/Iron Wood” lumbers were turned over to DENR-PENRO (Department of Environmental and Natural Resources-Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office), Palo, Leyte pending necessary documentation.”

The NBI said that Balaan and Lomongcan have been charged before the Tacloban City Prosecutor’s Office with violations of Presidential Decree No. 705, the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines.

It said the operation was conducted based on information received by NBI-EVRO that “one Clyde Rey Balaan, a Barangay Councilor and resident of Lianga, Surigao del Sur, is transporting banned species of illegally cut lumber ‘Iron Wood’ or ‘Magkuno.’”

“The logs are allegedly coming from the island of Mindanao on board a twenty-footer wing van/truck using the Port of San Ricardo as the point of entry,” it said.

“Logs are allegedly distributed in the municipality of Bato, Leyte and Maasin City, Southern Leyte,” it added.