Aurora governor denies rampant illegal logging

BALER, Aurora – Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo disputed accusations that illegal logging has gone rampant in Aurora, saying the provincial government-led task force has reined in smuggling of forest products contrary to reports reaching the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje.

Angara-Castillo said the reported rampant illegal logging in the province was farthest from the truth and that operations of loggers and timber poachers slowed down considerably because of four checkpoints run and operated by the task force.

“I categorically deny the report that illegal logging is rampant in Aurora. There is no basis to that report. On the contrary, illegal logging has almost completely stopped because of the strict law enforcement by the task force,” she said.

She was reacting to statements attributed to Paje that illegal logging has gone uncontrolled in the province, prompting the DENR secretary to order a crackdown against it.

Angara-Castillo said Ricardo Calderon, DENR regional executive director for Central Luzon, even phoned her to inform her of the concerns raised by Paje over the alleged rampant illegal logging in her province.

The governor said while illegal logging may not have been completely wiped out in the province, illegal operations have been placed under control because of the strict monitoring by the task force.

She said she takes pride in being the only local chief executive to have formed a task force to run after illegal loggers whose operations are reinforced by the presence of checkpoints.

In fact, she said, the province was cited by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago as the only jueteng-free province in Central Luzon.

Paje may have gotten the wrong impression that illegal logging is rampant in the province after Angara-Castillo admonished the Philippine National Police for the absence of policemen in anti-illegal logging checkpoints which enabled vehicles loaded with “hot logs” to pass through a checkpoint unchecked early last month.

In a meeting with the provincial government’s Task Force Sagip Kalikasan at the Provincial Capitol here two weeks ago, a fuming Angara-Castillo scolded police Supt. Alfredo Roxas, commander of the Aurora PNP’s provincial public safety and management company, in front of task force members, timber licensees and the media for the reported “disappearing act” of lawmen manning a checkpoint in Barangay Calaocan, Dipaculao on Oct. 3.

She called the meeting after receiving numerous complaints that checkpoints manned by the task force members were being abandoned by the PNP, the Army and even DENR personnel, which was taken advantage of by illegal loggers to smuggle forest products.

The governor created the provincial government-led task force and set up four checkpoints in strategic areas in the province two years ago to curb illegal logging activities.These checkpoints are located in sitio Canili, Barangay San Juan and Barangay Villa, both in Ma. Aurora town; Caragsacan in Dingalan and Calaocan. – MG