BUTUAN CITY – A total of P470,920 worth of illegally-cut logs and lumbers in different places in Northeastern Mindanao or The Caraga region were confiscated, police reported on Tuesday, June 13.
The anti-illegal logging task force of Police Regional Office 13 (PRO13) and forestry officers of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) also arrested a suspect during separate anti-illegal logging operations across the region on Monday, June 12.
Acting on a report of illegal logging activity, operatives of the PRO 13-Regional Intelligence Division 13 (RID 13) together with Butuan City Police Office- Station 1 (BCPO-S1), and Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO-Nasipit) intercepted a wing van loaded with numerous narra lumber with estimated volume of 7,500 board feet and market value of P450,000 along Democrito Plaza National Highway at Barangay Villa Kananga in this city.
Operating units arrested the driver (name withheld pending the arrest of the owner and further investigation of the origin of the narra lumbers), after he failed to present supporting documents.
PRO 13 Regional Director Police Brig. Gen. Pablo G. Labra ll told The Manila Bulletin on Tuesday that the suspect and his possible cohorts will be charged with violation of the Presidential Decree (PD) 705, otherwise known as the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines.
BGen Labra II said the region’s operating unit and the DENR-CENRO personnel are still conducting the investigation.
In a related development, in Barangay Bonaguit, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, elements of the 1304th Maneuver Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 13 and Esperanza Municipal Police Station (MPS) with the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office - Esperanza Monitoring Station seized a pile of abandoned cuts of undocumented lauan lumber with an estimated volume of 298.4 board feet worth P14,920.
Personnel of Alegria MPS in Surigao del Norte also recovered abandoned lauan lumber with an estimated volume of 224 board feet and market value of P6,000 in Barangay Budlingin, Alegria Surigao del Norte.
“I would like to commend the concerned barangay residents who reported the illegal logging activities to the authorities in their area,” Brig. Gen. Labra said.
“I implore the continuous cooperation from the public to serve as good steward of our environment and natural resources," said the top police official in Caraga region, adding “Our environment preservation and forest protection will continue with let up”.