P.5M worth of illegal logs from Leyte seized

CEBU, Philippines - Trucks containing an estimated half million worth of lauan lumber were apprehended by authorities around 4 p.m. yesterday in Cebu City.

Lauan, also known as Phi-lippine mahogany, is an endemic dipterocarp species protected by Executive Order 23 from logging. Under the EO, all naturally-growing indigenous trees cannot be cut down. Lauan species is also famous for making plywood.

Six Elf trucks loaded with 650 pieces of lauan, already in lumber form after wood processing, were seized at Cebu Liberty Lumber along M.J. Cuenco during a joint pursuit operation conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 and the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group.

The operation successfully apprehended P562,320 worth of illegal lumber of lauan specie measuring a total of 9,372 board feet. The logs allegedly came from Leyte through roro cargo vessel.

The seizure came after an intelligence report from the PNP-Maritime Group through Colonel Marvin De Paz.

Nolito Lapinig, forester at DENR-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office, said the owner of the seized lumber failed to present essential documents, such as certificate of lumber origin, tally sheets, sales invoice and certificate of transport agreement.

The FREEMAN is withholding the name of the owner pending comments.

Lapinig explained the importance of providing transport documents covering the said forest commodities, not only as a basis for determining the resource drain but also in providing a control mechanism against the unauthorized movement and disposition of contraband forest products.

“Illegal ilang gibuhat. Wala gani sila gipakita nga documents,” he said, citing an exemption that Lauan can be cut and transported once an entity is granted with a special permit from the President of the Philippines and the DENR Secretary.

As part of the due process, Lapinig said the owner of the Cebu Liberty Lumber will have to undergo administrative adjudication proceedings to determine the culpability to existing forestry laws and re-gulations.

The owner still has the chance to present the lacking documents before the agency will issue a final confiscation order following the proceedings.

But while the proceedings are underway, CENRO will file criminal case against the owner before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office next week for violating Section 77 of Presidential Degree 705 or the Forestry Code of the Philippines, in relation to EO 23.

CENRO officer for Cebu City Raul Pasoc said the confiscated forest products are now at the DENR-CENRO Cebu City depository area for safekeeping and will be used as pieces of evidence for the case to be filed in court.

DENR-7 director Isabelo Montejo said they are intensifying their operations towards a vigorous campaign against environmental law violators.

“There is no letup in our campaign against violators of the environmental laws. I have directed our DENR field officers to strictly monitor all illegal transport of forest products throughout the region,” Montejo said.

Logging ban

EO 23 was issued by President Benigno Aquino III to curb the depletion of the country’s original forest cover due to a lumber industry that has thrived since the 1970s.

The issuance of EO 23, a moratorium on the cutting of naturally-growing trees declared in 2011, led to a 78 percent reduction in illegal logging hot spots according to June 2013 DENR data. There was also a 66-percent reduction of wood processing plants with illegal logging sidelines.

The illegal status of lauan lumber has increased its black market value. From P3,000 to P5,000 ($67 to $112) per cubic meter before EO 23, it is now priced from P8,000 to P10,000 ($179 to $224) per cubic meter. —  (FREEMAN)