Log smuggling in Liloan: 2 more cops in hot water

Another two policemen are in hot water, bringing to 11 the number of law enforcers implicated in alleged irregularities the past four days.

Yesterday dawn, a policeman was arrested along with 13 other people while allegedly in the act of unloading suspected " hot lumber " from a pumpboat in barangay Calero in Liloan.

The pumpboat allegedly brought in the lumber from Surigao del Sur.

The arresting officers identified the policeman as PO3 Dario Baguio, a Liloan resident assigned with the PNP Provincial Mobile Group in Toledo City.

The police dragnet was ordered by Cebu provincial police director Vicente Loot on receiving information from Calero officials that log smuggling has become rampant in their barangay.

Two men from the group managed to swim away and succeeded in eluding arrest.

Another policeman was in the area but the arresting team did not apprehend him after he explained his presence there. SPO4 Roy Balila said he was there in response to an alarm.

Loot said the information he received was that the log smuggling enjoyed the protection of two policemen.

The arresting officers led by PNP Provincial Special Operations Group chief Juanito Enguerra arrived in Calero at around 1 a.m. but had to wait for another hour until the pumpboat came and anchored off the barangay.

A couple named Virgilio and Joy Villanueva, who later admitted owning the lumber, was seen waiting at a nearby cottage with Baguio. The couple was among those subsequently arrested.

Balila was seen arriving in a yellow Multicab and looked like he was serving as a lookout.

As soon as the men began unloading the lumber, allegedly under the supervision of Baguio, the arresting officers promptly fired warning shots in the air and confronted the men, demanding documents for the cargo.

One of the crew produced a document for 450 board feet of " yakal " hardwood taken from a property owned by a certain Maria Alingoyon in San Miguel, Surigao del Sur but it was a permit to cut, gather and dispose of logs but not to transport.

Because of this infirmity in the document, the arresting officers promptly apprehended the men, including Baguio and the Villanueva couple.

Balila hurriedly left but came back shortly, already with members of the Liloan police in a patrol car.

But Enguerra said he was sure it was Balila he had seen earlier in the yellow Multicab.

Nevertheless, the police let Balila go but said he will be included among those arrested to be named in a complaint expected to be filed Monday.

Those who managed to escape were identified as Lloyd Camarillo of Argao and Ernie Espejon of Surigao City.

The seized lumber was estimated to cost P50 thousand.

The dumptruck owned by the Villanueva couple was similarly seized.

The pumpboat was placed in custody of barangay Calero officials.

Aside from the criminal cases to be filed against the suspects, Baguio and Balila will also be administratively charged.

All the arrested suspects are detained at the Lapulapu City jail for lack of adequate detention facilities at the Provincial Police Office.

Loot said he ordered the raid not so much against the lumber as it was to catch the two policemen whom the officials in barangay Calero had identified as long been behind the smuggling of logs through their shores.

Loot said his priority is to cleanse the CPPO of scalawags.

Last Wednesday, a policeman from Talisay City was arrested along with several people for allegedly swindling a Manila woman and her son of P5 million by selling them a fake golden Buddha.

On Thursday, eight policemen from Consolacion were implicated in an alleged extortion racket in the town. The NBI is filing a case against the eight.