11,664 board feet of illegal lumber seized in Northern Samar

By 20th Infantry Battalion, 8ID PA
July 2, 2012

BRGY MAGSAYSAY, Lope de Vega, Northern Samar  –  A total of estimated 11,664 board feet of assorted lumber were seized at Sitio Kalangkaan, Lope de Vega, Northern Samar by joint elements of the 20th Infantry (We Lead) Battalion, led by Sgt Diomedes Latasan, PNP personnel headed by SPO4 Juan Cuesta, and the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Jojo Casco last July 01, 2012 at around 6:30 o’clock in the evening.

The operation took effect after Mayor Erlinda P Cinco of Lope de Vega received an information that assorted lumbers are trapped along Kalangkaan River where she requested for the assistance from the PNP and the 20IB for the confiscation of the said lumbers. Upon reaching the area, the responding troops found the abandoned pieces of lumber, however, the alleged owner has already evaded the arresting troops after fleeing the area.

LtCol Noel Vestuir, the 20IB Chief, in his report to Col Rolando Malinao, Commanding Officer of the 803Bde, based in Catarman, Northern Samar, said that the illegal lumber has a market value of more or less P256,608.00 based on the estimate by Mr Kenneth Yves Salon, the Chief Forest Protection and Law Enforcement Unit of the DENR.

The said accomplishment was made possible through the cooperation, collaboration and firm resolve of the residents in the area to protect the forest against illegal logging activities. The timely information provided by some residents has enabled the authorities to sequester the items as an evidence of prevalent illegal logging activities in the area.

The said seized lumber were hauled and now impounded at the Lope de Vega Municipal Hall for proper documentation and disposition.

Col Malinao, 803Bde’s Commanding Officer commended the troops for a job well done. He likewise extends his thanks to the people in the area for the timely information provided to the responding personnel involved in the said operation.