29,600 board feet of lumbers confiscated in Camarines Norte

By Rosalita B. Manlangit

DAET, Camarines Norte, Dec. 20 (PIA) -- Some 29,605 board feet of lumber amounting to almost P1 million were apprehended from January to November this year by the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) in the implementation of forest protection and law enforcement program.

CENR Officer Ponciano M. Mabeza said that these were attributed to 47 apprehensions wherein eight were abandoned while 39 had claimants.

He said that they had already filed cases in court against 14 persons for violation of Sec. 77 of Presidential Decree 705 as amended.

The apprehensions were conducted in the barangays of Mercedes, Labo, Sta.Elena, Basud, Paracale, Daet, Capalonga, Talisay, and Jose Panganiban.

Seized assorted woods include: lokbob, diptero, batino, bamboo poles, apitong, pili, santol, batin, narra, derigcalin, red lauan, ilang-ilang, white lauan, kalamansanai, dapdap and malapapaya with some 265 sacks of wood charcoal.

The involved conveyances in the said operations include: two motorized banca, four public utility jeepneys, five ELP trucks, 16 motorcycles, one six wheeler, one close van, and one public utility bus.

The said logs and conveyances were in the custody of Cenro-Daet, Philippine National Police (PNP) in the said municipalities, and the Philippine Army.

He said that the apprehensions were made by four forest rangers in the Bicol National Park (BNP), three forest rangers in Abisog-Mananap- Matogdon-National Biotic Area (AMMNBA), and five forest rangers outside the protected areas and in coordination with the PNP and AFP in the said areas.

There were also 47 deputized Wildlife Enforcement Officers (WEOs) throughout the province who assisted in the protection of natural resources in the different areas in the barangay.

He added that aside from the forest protection and law enforcement program of Cenro, they managed other priority programs and projects as well as conservation of existing natural resources in the province. (MAL/RBM-PIA5, Camarines Norte)