GUIGUINTO, Bulacan – The heavy winds and rains spawned by Tropical Storm Pepito did not deter authorities from conducting anti-illegal logging foot patrol operations in the Bulacan-Rizal border of the Ipo Watershed that led to the arrest of seven illegal loggers.
Rolly Mulato, chief of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO)–Guiguinto, Bulacan told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Thursday that the suspects were caught while transporting illegally cut lumber flitches at Mount Balabag in Sitio Pulang Lupa, Barangay San Isidro in the City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan and in Sitio Ilas, Barangay Makaingalan, Rodriguez, Rizal on Wednesday.
The operations were launched by operatives of CENRO, 48th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and the Angat watershed area team of the National Power Corporation.
Mulato identified the suspects as Diego Agudes, Marlon Inggo, Armando Agudes, Ian Hermosa, Ronel Asiong, Melvin Caballero, and Apolinario Avener Jr.
Isagani Navalta, chief of the law enforcement unit of CENRO-Guiguinto, said a total of 1,750 board feet of lumber flitches worth PHP61,250 were confiscated and destroyed on site while four horses, two multicabs and a motorized “kolong-kolong” were also seized from the suspects.
The confiscation of the lumber flitches was pursuant to Executive Order 23 (Declaring a Moratorium on the Cutting and Harvesting of Timber in the Natural and Residual Forests) and Section 68 of Presidential Decree 705, as amended by Republic Act 7161, the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines.
Navalta said the suspects are now facing appropriate charges. (PNA)
