Illegal lumber in Cordi confiscated;two men nabbed

By Mydz Supnad

CAMP BADO DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – Police recently confiscated around P106,234 worth of lumber in the region and arrested two men caught transporting the illegal contraband.

Cordillera police director Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong bared this saying personnel of the Abra Provincial Public Safety Company led by Supt. Virgilio C. Pascua, Jr. confiscated 12 pieces of narra flitches and six pieces of finished doors made of narra wood at Barangay North Poblacion, Bucay, Abra.

The confiscated wood was loaded on a Kia Vesta van driven by RaymundoDela Paz Bersamin, retired police personnel and resident of Poblacion, Bucay.

He was arrested when he was not able present pertinent documents supporting the transport of the forest products.

The arrested person and the confiscated evidence were brought to the PPSC Office for documentation and proper disposition.

Magalong said in another incident a Elf Mini dump truck loaded with illegal assorted lumber driven by Bernard Vicente Dulyungan, former employee of the Kalinga-Apayao Electric Cooperative (KAELCO) and resident of Barangay Pangol, Tanudan, Kalinga was intercepted by personnel of Kalinga Police Provincial Office, Regional Public Safety Battalion led by Insp. Dausen and Capt. Jasper Brix Perez of the 21st Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army while conducting checkpoint at Callagdao detachment, Bulanao, Tabuk City.

Stored by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office at Tabuk City, Kalinga, it had an estimated total volume of 1,000 board feet with a market value of P30,000.

The confiscated lumber together with the driver were brought to the Tabuk City Police Station for documentation and filing of charges.

Subsequently, Joint personnel of the Mountain Province Police Provincial Office led by Insp. Richard P. Soliven and the Army’s 54TH Infantry Battalion(IB), led by Lt Col Francisco Millare based at Paracelis, Mountain Province also confiscated abandoned assorted White Lawaan softwood lumber at Sitio Cassag, Bacarri, Paracelis.

The confiscated illegal lumber had a total volume of 1,043 board feet with an estimated market value of P31,290.00.

Confiscated items were brought to the Mountain Province Provincial Public Safety Company for documentation and proper disposition.

Magalong said the series of confiscation of illegally cut lumber was a contribution of police to the government’s national greening program in response to global warming which is adversely affecting the environment.

Magalong urged regional constituents to help government protect the environment by providing law enforcers with vital information that will lead to the confiscation of illegally sawn lumber and the arrest of those involved in the transport of the illegal lumber.