BONTOC, Mt. Province -- Authorities swooped on a vast forest-timberland area in the municipality of Bauko on Tuesday morning, confiscating more than 13,000 board feet of pine tree lumber.
Joint elements of government forest rangers and policemen also arrested five suspects during the pre-dawn anti-illegal operation which spanned five days.
Confiscated from the illegal logging site situated in a thickly forested area covering nearly six-hectares, just few kilometers from the town hall were 13,582.99 board feet of illegally logged pine lumber worth P500,000.
Police Regional Office–Cordillera acting regional director Chief Superintendent Ulysses Abellera who personally inspected the illegally cut lumber identified the suspects as Carlos Kimaki Combisen, 55 years old of Balintuagan, Bauko; Ariel Bateg Bomogao, 36 year old of Baguio City, brothers Jerry and Joel Magnanang Padingil, 26 and 23, years old, and William Bistayok Daping, 49, all residents of Angkileng, Sagada.
The five suspects facing criminal charges in violation of Republic Act 705 (Forestry Law) are now detained at the provincial district jail by order of Provincial Judge Joseph Patnaan.
Abellera vowed his command will sustain anti-illegal logging campaign in the Cordilleras and commended the officer and members of the joint operation by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) led by Provincial Environment Officer Octavio Cuanso and Cordillera Police Command headed by Police Superintendent Joseph Cayat of the Provincial Public Safety Company and Police Inspector Luis Dangatan of Bauko Municipal Police. (MB)