By
Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
Solsona, Ilocos Norte—A total of 1,384 board feet of Narra tree worth
more than 131,000 pesos was seized by law enforcers on Monday under the proverbial noses of barangay
officials in Santa Ana here.
Tipped
by a concerned citizen through a text message, local authorities led by P/Sr.
Insp. Leonardo Tolentino and Solsona Mayor Jonathan de Lara immediately
proceeded to the area at about 1 pm on Jan. 5 and discovered at least 82 pieces of illegally cut logs
abandoned along a barangay road in Sitio Cabatacan near the residence of Santa
Ana Brgy. chairperson Nestor del Castillo.
In
an inventory conducted by forest rangers of the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR), the freshly-sawn Narra lumber measures a total of
1,384.13 board feet pegged at P95 per board feet or an estimated market value
of P131,492.25.
As
of press time, police investigators have yet to identify the suspects behind
the illegal cutting activity.
"The
investigation is still in progress. We need to have a witness in order for us
to file a case against the perpetrators," said Mr. Tolentino.
Mr.
Del Castillo, for his part, simply stated “no comment yet” when asked for
interview.
However,
Solsona councilor Mark del Castillo, committee on environment chairperson of
the Solsona council, urged a thorough investigation together with the
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO).
Under
Presidential Decree 705 also known as the Forestry Reform Code of the
Philippines, the illegal cutting, gathering and transporting of trees and other
forest products are punishable by more than six years in prison.
Comments
Post a Comment