DENR, CIDG seize P480K of premium lumber in Lubao town
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO---Combi ned operatives of the provincial office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here and the Crime Investigation and
Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) based in Pampanga have recently apprehended premium and alleged illegally sourced lumbers of Narra (Pterocarpus indicus) and Molave (Vitex parviflora) worth more than P480,000.
In report sent to this reporter by the DENR, Police Staff Segeant Reynaldo Camacho, member of CIDG in Pampanga, their agents who posed as buyers were able to buy illegaly sawn lumbers to a certain Josemary Limpin in the King and Prince Sash and Furniture Shop in Barangay Remedios, Lubao town.
"The suspect, who also owned the sash and furniture shop was arrested while the illegal cut lumbers, were seized and apprehended in the operation," he said.
According to Laudemir Salac, provincial environment and natural resources officer (PENRO) in Pampanga, over 4,000 board feet of allegedly illegally sourced lumbers of Narra and Molave were apprehended by the combined operatives of PENRO and CIDG.
"We are not lowering our guards even during this pandemic but instead we further intensified our anti-illegal logging campaign together
with our law enforcement partners to check movement contrabands", he explained.
He said the species of Narra and Molave are premium hardwood species because of their excellent wood quality primarily for furniture-making, and making these species a favorite target of illegal loggers.
"We are still verifying the origin of this lumber species but definitely it's not from the province," he clarified.
The DENR- PENRO has already filed criminal charges against the suspect violating the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines (PD 705).
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