Man, woman charged for cutting trees

CEBU, Philippines - For allegedly cutting and gathering seven naturally grown trees without permit, the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office indicted two people.

Associate Prosecution Attorney II Arnulfo Amodia elevated the case to the court after finding probable cause against Fe Cabando and chainsaw operator Eduardo Prajes.

 “Accused conspiring, confederating and mutually helping with one another without any authority of law, either by license, lease or permit issued by competent authority did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously cut, gather and collect five deregulated trees and two fruit-bearing trees,” he said.

 He recommended P40,000 each as bail for the temporary liberty of Cabando and Prajes.

 In the complaint, lawyer Santos Gil said that on June 13, 2011, he received a text message from his caretaker that the accused cut several trees and about three coconut trees in his lot in Tubod, Minglanilla, Cebu .

The following day, he said he reported the incident to PENRO in Capitol but he was referred to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Community Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO).

 He said it was on July 19 when CENRO representatives went to the area for ocular inspection. Based on the inventory of CENRO, the cut trees, except the coconut trees, amount to P12,533.44.

 Gil added that when he went to the area to personally check the situation, together with two police officers, he asked who cut the trees and the people reportedly pointed to the accused.

 “When I asked if both they were indeed responsible for the cutting of trees and coconuts, they admitted they were the ones but claimed that my parcel of land belongs to them prompting me thereby to show the photocopy of my Transfer Certificate of Title, telling both uninterrupted possession for 21 years,” the affidavit reads.

 It was the DENR CENRO who filed the complaint for the violation of Section 77 of Presidential Decree 705 as amended by Executive Order 277 Cutting, Gathering, and or Collecting Timber or Other Forests Products without License against two accused. — (FREEMAN)