Tuesday, May 27, 2008 PCA admits laxity of info drive on coco logging
THE Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in Negros Occidental has admitted laxity on their part in conducting comprehensive information drives on illegal logging of coconut trees in the province.
A sample of the case was the one in E.B. Magalona town in northern Negros, where Henry Alvarez of PCA-Negros told the town police they could not impose sanctions yet against the two persons caught in possession of two truckloads of sliced coco lumber from Barangay San Isidro due to their negligence in informing the public about Republic Act 8048, which covers the regulation of coco lumber.
Chief Inspector Samuel Mina Jr., the town's police chief, said they released both Antonio Demecino and William Passion after Alvarez forgave them but warned not to repeat their acts of cutting coco trees without prior permission from the PCA.
Demecio, a native of sitio Calaptan in Barangay San Isidro, and Passion of Victorias City, were apprehended last May 14 while transporting two trucks of about 5,000 board feet of sliced coco lumber from San Isidro going to the town proper without proper documentations.
Police immediately impounded the two trucks of coco lumber and temporarily detained the two pending the arrival of a PCA representative.
Mina, however, was "shocked" to hear Alvarez's admission that PCA also has lapses on information dissemination regarding RA 8048.
"With this, we have no choice but to release the owners of the coco lumber," Mina said. "But the two truckloads of lumber were confiscated in favor of the municipal government of E.B. Magalona and will be subject to Mayor David Albert Lacson's decision later."
The seized coco lumber amounted to almost P55,000, Mina said. (Erwin Ambo Delilan)
