PROCOR’s Makakalikasan drive nets 6 violators and more than 244K worth of illegal lumber confiscated
CAMP MAJOR BADO DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – From February 6-10, 2021, Police Regional Office Cordillera’s environment protection campaign led to the successful conduct of 24 anti-illegal logging operations in the region, as well as the arrest of a total of six suspects, one in Benguet and five in Apayao.
In the different municipalities of Benguet, a total volume of 6, 963.5 board feet of abandoned illegally sawn assorted lumbers with a total estimated market value of Php 243, 890.00 were recovered.
In Itogon, the anti-illegal logging operations conducted led to the discovery of abandoned illegally sawn pine lumber with a total volume of 495 board feet and an estimated market value of Php 20,408.00 while in Tublay, a total of 219 board feet with an estimated market value of Php 7,665.00 were found.
More illegally sawn pine lumber were discovered in the municipalities of Atok, Bakun, Buguias, Kabayan, Kapangan, La Trinidad, and Mankayan amounting to a total of volume of 538 board feet with an estimated market value of Php 22,026.00.
Meanwhile in Sablan, operatives discovered illegally sawn mahogany lumber with a total volume of 163 board feet and an estimated market value of Php 8,816.00 and illegally sawn adaan lumber with a total volume of 108 board feet and an estimated market value of Php 5,724.00.
In Tuba, illegally sawn gmelina lumber with a total volume of 131 board feet and an estimated market value of Php 7,205.00 and illegally sawn tuel lumber with a total volume of 47 board feet and an estimated market value of Php 2,986.00 were recovered by operatives.
Furthermore, Benguet operatives were able to implement two search warrants for violation of PD 705 (Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines) that led to the arrest of suspect Reagan Anselmo Bumakil and the confiscation of illegally sawn pine lumber with a total of volume of 150 board feet and an estimated market value of Php 6, 000.00 in Sitio Otbong/BCI and a total of volume 2,112.5 board feet and with an estimated market value of Php 88,060.00 in Sitio Balokok, both in Brgy Bobok, Bokod.
In addition, Apayao operatives, acting on a phone call from a concerned citizen, were able to arrest five suspects caught in the act of transporting illegally sawn lumber along Apayao- Cagayan River in Bagutong, Flora, Apayao. Suspects were identified as Robert Trinidad Mahilum, Denmark Ilad Ramirez, Reymark Malay Agapito, Alvhin Mariano Asigay, and Mark Bundad Tomas. In the course of the arrest, operatives were able to confiscate a total volume of 3,000 board feet of Tanguile Flitches with an estimated market value of Php 75,000.00.
All recovered pieces of evidence have been brought to respective police stations for documentation and proper disposition and arrested suspects are now facing charges for violation of PD 705 (Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines). ###
