Illegally cut lumber seized in Surigao
BUTUAN CITY — Over 1,300 board feet of illegally-cut lawaan lumber were confiscated during separate anti-illegal logging operations conducted by police force in Surigao provinces over the weekend, police reported yesterday.
The identity of the owners of the confiscated illegally-cut forest products have been temporarily withheld pending further joint investigation by the police and Department of Environment and Natural Resources in preparation for filing of charges in court in violation of PD 705 otherwise known as the Forestry Code of the Philippines.
Initial report reaching the regional command and tactical operation center of Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) based at Camp Rafael C. Rodriguez here stated that the joint elements of the intelligence section of Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Office (PPO) and Gigaquit Municipal Police Station (MPS) and supervised by Surigao del Norte PPO Director Senior Supt. Julito Morin Diray responded a report that illegally-cut lumbers were found along the pathway of Purok Kalubian, Barangay San Isidro, in Gigaquit town.
The combined police force arrived at the reported area and found the undocumented lawaan lumbers.
The owner of the seized forest products is a known furniture maker, said Chief Supt. David Y. Ombao, regional director of PRO 13, quoting the initial report of Senior Supt. Diray.
“The confiscation was done after a concerned citizen reported that several Lawaan lumbers were being hauled at the place,” added Chief Supt. Ombao.
The confiscated lumber was turnedover to Surigao City DENR-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office yesterday for further investigation and final scaling in preparation for filing of appropriate charges in court.
Meanwhile, 158 board feet of banned Yakal and Doyok-doyok lumbers were also seized in a separate operation conducted by the combined Carmen MPS and Alpha Company of the Army’s 36th Infantry Battalion (36th IB) at Kilometer 2 Barangay Puyat, in Carmen town, Surigao del Sur.
The confiscated forest products are now under the custody of Alpha Coy 36th IB at Barangay Puyat in that same town for documentation and would later be turned- over to DENR PRO 13, the report added.
PRO 13 has intensified its anti-illegal logging operation in full support to government’s environment preservation and forest protection and put an end the backbone of illegal logging operation in Caraga region.
To date, Surigao del Sur DENRProvincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Rosendo A. Asunto disclosed that the all- out anti-illegal logging operation has already netted 35,607.44 board feet of illegallycut lumber and 393.03 cubic meters of illegally-cut logs.
“The illegal logging operations in the province dramatically declined to more than 50% as compared to previous year,” PENR Officer Asunto said.
The province’s top forestry official cited the 71,221.30 bd. ft. of lumbers and 474.02 cubic meters of logs that were confiscated last year.