DENR Region XI

Mati, Davao Oriental Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Task Force headed by Forester III Restituta A. Dime, apprehended recently a ten wheeler Fuzo truck loaded with assorted sizes of lauan lumber hidden under sacks of sawdust. The truck bearing plate number REJ-304 was apprehended at Barangay Bitanagan, Mati, Davao Oriental.

Per instruction of PENR Officer Salvador Malbog, the 856 pieces of lumber with a total volume of 9,768.04 board feet valued at approximately 263T pesos was intercepted and was immediately brought to the Provincial Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters.

Based on the investigation conducted by the PENRO Task Force, Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Team and the PNP Personnel, the said forest products were not covered with legal transport permit and other necessary documents that should be issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). In an interview with the truck driver Nestor Palmes of Tagum City, Davao del Norte, the illegally cut lumber were loaded from Baganga, Davao Oriental and allegedly owned by one Rex Nazareno.

The ten wheeler truck used as conveyance of these lumber was already turned-over to the CENR Office and issued with necessary apprehension receipts subject for administrative proceedings pursuant to DAO 97-32, Rules for the Administrative Adjudication of Illegal Forest Products and the Machinery, Equipment, Tools and Conveyances used in connection thereof.

On the other hand, CENRO Mati personnel , headed by OIC, CENR Officer Romeo Torres disclosed that his office has confiscated a total volume of 70 cubic meters of assorted species of forest product such as lokinai, almaciga and tangile and deposited at the Mati CENR Office compound. These species were apprehended since February last year and 1,500 board feet of these were already donated early this year to the fire victims of Mati, Davao Oriental. (RPAO, DENR XI)