A TOTAL of 16 individuals, including three foreigners, were apprehended in Tagum City on October 7 for possession and trade of agarwood, according to Police Regional Office in Davao Region (PRO-Davao).
The police were able to confiscate from the suspects 145.5 kilograms of Agarwood with an estimated value of P145,500,000 and cold cash amounting to P4,317,000.
Although the operation was done in Brgy. Magugpo East, PRO-Davao spokesperson police major lawyer Eudisan Gultiano said they have yet to clarify where exactly the agarwoord was harvested.
“Usually ang agarwood meron pa tayo sa Davao Oriental so hindi ito harvested sa Davao del Norte. Sa Tagum City lang ang transaction (We have agarwood in Davao Oriental so it’s most likely that this was not harvested in Davao del Norte. Only the transaction happened in Tagum City),” Gultiano said.
The three foreigners were identified as Malaysian nationals named Hamdam Hamdan Zakaria, Alyasah Zakaria, and Shahidan Saari. They were accompanied by a translator identified as Dennis Asuncion.
The 12 other individuals were businessmen identified as Philip Duray Tayabas Macangao, Renato Atumay Bosquit, Jay Ralph Rebao, Mark Lester Geneston, Benjamin Alfeche Jani Jr., Arnolfo Dela Cerna Ishikawa, Jacqueline A Sato, Ricky Inojales, Richard Talisa Layan, Edwin Duray Lawanis, Elmer Akhmad Sison, Jay Glen Sarsonas Anzon, and Roldan Tupiasan.
Gultiano said the Malaysians were the supposed buyers of the valuable agarwood while the 12 other suspects were the sellers. The spokesperson added that the sellers also came from other places outside of Davao region.
According to PRO-Davao, the apprehended individuals violated Presidential Decree No. 705 “Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines” and Republic Act No. 9147 “Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.”
Gultiano said the violation of the suspects is illegal logging of agarwood, since the Lapnisan and Lanete trees that produce agarwood are protected species under the national list of threatened Philippine plants of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Administrative Order 2007-01.
“Pinagbabawal na talaga ang pagpuputol, and protected na talaga ang agarwood (Cutting down and agarwood is really prohibited since it’s also a protected species),” she said.
The apprehended foreigners, along with the confiscated Agarwood and cash are under the custody of the Regional Special Operation Group in Davao while the other apprehended individuals were brought to Tagum City Police Station.
The operation was done in coordination of PRO-Davao, DENR, Tagum City Police Station, Regional Special Operation Group in Davao, Provincial Public Safety Mobile Unit-Davao Oriental Police Provincial Office, and Philippine Coast Guard.
Gultiano said the police are already preparing to file a case against all the suspects. ICM