Three charged for cutting tree

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has filed a criminal complaint against three people before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office for cutting a tree illegally.

Roldan Cotejo, DENR chief Forest Management Services officer, said Santos Arnaiz, Nida Arnaiz and Archie Coyoca violated Section 68 of Presidential Decree No. 705 or the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines.

The three are residents of Barangay Poblacion, Daanbantayan.

In a joint affidavit, forest rangers Nilo Monsanto and Antonio Aton Jr. said they were connected with the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Carmen, Cebu when on July 30, 2013, they were instructed by their head to verify a report that a Molave tree at a private lot owned by a certain Rey Maria Geralde in Barangay Poblacion, Daanbantayan was cut down.

The forest rangers said they inspected the area on August 1, 2013 and found out that a big branch of the Molave tree was cut and was used as buffer for a motorboat. They also found out that the tree was “girdled,” which caused its death.

The problem was, the tree was cut without permit, they said.

“That on the same date at about 11:00 in the morning, we asked Santos and Nida, who cut and girdled the Molave tree and if they had a permit and they answered they have no permit and sold it to Coyoca,” the two narrated.

Geralde, for his part, said it was actually in December 2012 when he learned that Santos and Nida had cut the Molave tree in his property and sold the same to Coyoca. He reportedly inspected the area on December 10, 2012 and confirmed the report.

He reported the matter to the barangay captain the following month, but it was only on July 30, 2013 when he reported the matter to DENR. —/JMO (FREEMAN)