P500T “hot lumber” seized

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – At least 10,000 board feet of illegally cut lumber, mostly of lawaan species, have been confiscated at Barangay Tagadtaran in Burauen town of Leyte by personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Region 8.

DENR-8 Regional Executive Director Leonardo Sibbaluca told reporters that the apprehending team was also joined by law enforcers from the police and the 78th Infantry Battalion, headed by Lieutenant Colonel Allan Jose Taguba.

Sibbaluca said the total volume of lumber has a current value of P500,000, based on the P50 per board foot prevailing market price in Eastern Visayas.

Taguba, for his part, said the seized lumber is now deposited at the Burauen Municipal Environment Office, under the care of the police and the military, pending the investigation of the case and the filing of the criminal charges against the perpetrators.