PINUKPUK, Kalinga - Two individuals were arrested after their truck loaded with illegally sawn narra flitches worth P600,000 was intercepted by police authorities in Barangay Camalog, Pinukpuk, Kalinga on Thursday, Feb. 16.
Brig. General Mafelino Bazar, regional director of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera, identified the arrested as Johnny Alingcao Lumiwes Jr., 28, and Joseph Armando Carig Gammad, 33.
Bazar said police officers of Pinukpuk Municipal Police Station received a call from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) informing them that their Bantay Gubat workers stationed at Kapanikian checkpoint and personnel of the Philippine Army flagged down a truck loaded with Narra flitches.
Immediately, the police responded to the call and upon arrival, they inspected the truck and asked for pertinent documents of the said flitches.
The two truck passengers however failed to show documents, prompting the responding police officers to arrest them.
The police confiscated the Narra flitches with an estimated volume of more or less 700 board feet with a market value of P600,000.
Lumiwes Jr and Carig Gammad are now under the custody of Pinukpuk MPS and will be facing charges for violation of Presidential Decree 705 or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines, while the vehicle used and Narra flitches were brought to CENRO Pinukpuk Office for proper disposition.