BUTUAN CITY – Police have seized more than 1,600 board feet of illegally cut lauan lumber in Sibagat town, Agusan del Sur province.
The Sibagat Municipal Police Station (MPS) has coordinated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Bayugan City to conduct the final scaling of the seized band forest products to determine their value, Police Regional Office 13-Regional Information Office (PRO 13-RPIO) chief Police Major Jennifer S. Ometer said on Tuesday, August 1.
POLICE inspect an Isuzu Elf loaded with undocumented illegally cut lauan lumber in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur on Sunday night, July 30. (Mike U. Crismundo)
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Police temporarily detained the driver and helper of the Isuzu Elf transporting the undocumented lauan lumber for further investigation that would possibly lead to its origin and owner.
“The two might be charged for violation of PD (Presidential Decree) 705, otherwise known as the Forestry Code of the Philippines,” Ometer said.
Initial report reaching the PRO-13 headquarters in Camp Rafael C. Rodriguez here disclosed that personnel of Sibagat Municipal Police Station flagged down an Isuzu Elf loaded with lauan lumber after a concerned citizen reported the vehicle’s contents.
Police found out it has no pertinent cutting and travel documents.
"Our anti-illegal logging campaign coupled with the support and cooperation of the community led to the confiscation of illegally cut forest products and the arrest of suspects,” PRO-13 Director Police Brig. Gen. Kirby John B. Kraft said.
“Together, let us sustain this momentum to protect our environment and natural resources," Kraft added.