CAMP RAFAEL C. RODRIGUEZ, Butuan City – Authorities seized more than 5,422.8 board feet of illegally cut Toog and Lauan flitches and lumber in Agusan del Sur on Wednesday, August 2.
PRO 13-Regional Public Information Office (RPIO) chief Police Major Jennifer S. Ometer said 5,204.8 board feet of abandoned Lauan lumber with estimated value of P104,081.06 were recovered by the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RFMB)-13 and Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-Esperanza Monitoring Station in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur .
The operation was conducted after an informant reported the presence of abandoned illegally cut lumber in Barangay Milagros, Ometer said.
“Our operating unit immediately swooped down in reported area and found the big file of illegally cut flitches and lumbers,” she said.
PRO-13 Director Police Brig. Gen. Kirby John B. Kraft ordered further investigation for the arrest of the owners of these abandoned forest products.
“A continuous intelligence monitoring is being carried out to determine who owned these forest products which are now in the custody of DENR-CENRO Esperanza Monitoring Station Depository,” Kraft said.
In a separate operation, police collared two suspected lumber trader and cutter in Barangay San Agustin, Talacogon.
Suspects yielded Lauan and Toog lumber with an estimated volume of 218 board feet and a market value of P6,540.
The two suspects might be charged with PD 705, otherwise known as the Forestry Code of the Philippines, Kraft said.
“I hope these operations serve as a warning to individuals involved in illegal logging activities,” Brig. Gen. Kraft said, adding “our combined forest protection drive with the DENR will continue without letup.”