Padaca: Illegal loggers in smear drive

ILAGAN, Isabela — The provincial government has intensified its efforts against the seemingly unabated illegal cutting of trees in the forests of the Sierra Madre mountain range.

Gov. Grace Padaca, who has personally led most of the anti-illegal logging operations, said more than 65,000 board feet of illegally cut forest products have been seized since the provincial government formed the anti-illegal logging task force early this year.

Padaca said the "smear campaign" against her, obviously resulting from her efforts to contain illegal logging, would not stop her and the provincial government from going after the perpetrators.

The illegal loggers, according to Padaca, are using poor villagers, especially those directly or indirectly benefiting from their illegal activities, to rally against her.

"No way could they stop me. I know that they are the ones behind this smear campaign against me," she said.

Padaca cited some "harsh" messages printed on walls or on roadsides, particularly in Naguillan town, picturing her as insensitive to the plight of poor villagers who subsist on the cutting of trees. 

"Ever since, Isabeliños have known who these illegal loggers are. We don’t need to name names," she said.

Besides hiring more forest guards, Padaca said they would also provide alternative livelihood to villagers affected by the anti-illegal logging campaign.

The confiscated illegally cut forest products, including high-grade narra, are now under the custody of the provincial government, she said.

In coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, they could be used in building schools or be converted into funds for the alternative livelihood program, she said.

Isabela, the country’s third largest province, still maintains 579,817 hectares of forests, one of the largest in the country.

Recently, environment groups criticized the local DENR office for allegedly failing to contain "widespread and rampant" illegal logging.

Provincial environment and natural resources officer Felix Taguba, however, denied the accusation, saying his office has had its share of accomplishments.

"Our record speaks for itself. We have not been remiss in our duties," he said, adding that they have seized more than 250,000 board feet of illegally cut forest products since 2002.