5 poachers arrested; hot logs seized
BISLIG CITY – Five poachers were arrested and illegally-cut forest products were seized during an all-out anti-illegal logging drive here, the Bislig City Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.
The DENR Bislig City CENRO’s antiillegal logging task force also filed charges against the five persons in local court here for violation of PD 705 otherwise known as the Forestry Code of the Philippines.
The anti-illegal logging drive led by Bislig City CENR Officer Victor B. Sabornido has led to the confiscation of 22, 413.67 board feet and 61.93 cubic meters of illegal forest products while 16 motorcycles, 6 chainsaws, and one wing van truck were also seized.
“Our environment preservation and forest protection will continue without let up until all the remaining hot spot areas in this part of the region is cleared,” said the Bislig City DENR-CENRO.
The intensified anti-illegal logging operation in the Caraga region ordered by DENR 13 Regional Executive Director (RED) Atty. Felix S. Alicer on the instruction of Environment Sec. Roy A. Cimatu, also resulted in the apprehensions of several illegally-cut forest products in various parts of the region.
The DENR Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force at the provincial and community environment and natural resources offices (PENROs, CENROs) were ordered to search and retrieve illegally-cut lumber products by timber poachers and prosecute them through proper court proceedings.
Alicer said they have been closely monitoring the operation and ordered a crackdown on timber poaching in the remaining hot spot areas in the region.
The continuing anti-illegal logging operation has also resulted in the retrieval of 26 abandoned flitches left by timber poachers in the remote mountain village of Manat, in Trento, Agusan del Sur recently.
DENR team leader Rey Ruiz, in coordination with the Army’s Bravo Company, 25th Infantry Battalion, 4th ID, and PNP 1303rd Maneuver Company based in Bunawan Brook carried out a surprise raid and retrieval operation and recovered 26 pieces of mixed dipterocarp flitches with a volume of 1,464.8 bd. ft. worth R43,944.00 in Manat area.
DENR 13-CENRO Tubod, Surigao del Norte, with help from CIDG-PNP agents, also seized 2,092.17 bd. ft. of undocumented lumber products consisting of species of molave, narra, and gmelina worth about R259.053.
DENR-13 Enforcement Division and the CENRO Cantilan personnel under CENR Officer Ruel Efren in coordination with the PNP in Cantillan also swooped down at a mini saw mill shop on Dela Pena and Burgos streets in Cantilan Surigao del Sur recently and apprehended 65pieces of assorted lumber. The lumbers are good quality materials from the species Mayapis, malatambis, sahaan, lauan, yakal and Gmelina. The seized forest products were brought to a government depository for safekeeping.
The DENR-CENRO anti-illegal logging task force and police operatives in Agusan del Norte have also apprehended 44 pieces of illegal lumber products during separate operations.
The anti-illegal logging task force under CENR Officer Teresa Salisid in Tubay,Agusan del Norte made a surprise visit to illegally-operating mini sawmill plants in Barangays La Union and Mabini in Cabadbaran City and seized lumber products with a volume of 502.96 bd. ft worth about R18,303.60.