CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – More than 4,000 board feet of premium hardwood lumber worth some PHP250,000 were seized Thursday by the joint anti-illegal logging operatives of the regional and provincial offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Pampanga and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Angeles City.
Laudemir Salac, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) here, said the forest contraband was seized from the compound of Romar’s Hardware located in Barangay Pandan, Angeles City and owned by a certain Marita Yen.
“This operation is part of our regular inspection, monitoring and spot lumber inventory. And our team found out that suspicious forest products, which are banned timber hardwood species from the Philippine dipterocarp species such as yakal, tanguile and lauan, were found hidden under those legitimate lumber stocks,” Salac said in a media interview Friday.
He said upon verification, the owner failed to show any legal documents or permit for keeping such premium lumber, and the team immediately seized them.
“Possession of these species without necessary permit from the DENR is prohibited under forestry law,” he added.
Salac also warned other hardware and lumber stores in the province not to store undocumented lumber or they may face the sanction of the law. He also appealed to the public to report to the DENR any illegal forest activities.
The DENR-PENRO Pampanga is now conducting administrative adjudication and is preparing to file a criminal case against the offender for violating Section 68 of the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines.
The seized pieces of lumber are temporarily stored at DENR regional office and PENRO for safe keeping. Marna Dagumboy Del Rosario / PNA – northboundasia.com