MAITUM, Sarangani (November 7, 2007) – A text message from a concerned citizen led cops to seize three truckloads of Philippine hardwood believed to be illegally cut as the trucks were passing by this town under cover of darkness.
"We have received the information so we alerted our police together with the municipal environmental office and the community environmental office for their apprehension," town police chief Geronimo Dimayuga, Jr. said.
A police report indicated that confiscated on Monday night was a total of 18,557 board feet of lumber estimated to cost more than P1 million in the market.
The cargo consisted of 688 flitches of assorted red wood and Philippine hardwood like mahogany, yakal, apitong and lawaan.
The trucks and drivers, immediately turned over by the police to the municipal environmental office, were apprehended for failure to show the required mayor's permit.
But Dimayuga said that after the turnover, forest ranger Elpidio Doctor ordered the release of the drivers as directed by community environment officer Ruel Divino.
The papers seized showed the names of Magapid Guime Angan and Noel Colano as owners of the said illegal lumber from Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.
In June this year, the same names appeared in a permit used to carry more than 19,000 board feet of apprehended lumber from Palimbang.
"Illegal logging is not a problem here (in Maitum) but we have to stop them from using our area of responsibility as a route. Our communities here are vigilant and supportive," Dimayuga said.
"We would like to thank especially the communities for their active participation," said Sr. Supt. Danilo Peralta, police provincial director. "And we want this to be replicated in the other municipalities."
Peralta said the provincial police and the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office will conduct a two-day seminar for a more efficient implementation of environmental laws in the province. (SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE/RGP)
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