Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation’s Environmental Crime Division have arrested five suspects involved in the illegal possession, collecting, cutting and selling of various species of timber in Sultan Kudarat.
The NBI identified those arrested as Vivencio Necesito Sr., owner of VN Furniture Shop; Ramel Castracion, owner of Boyet Furniture Shop; Sanny Oriel, owner of Oriel Upholstery and Furniture; Jerry Paglomutan, owner of JP Furniture; and Wifredo Pableo Jr., owner of Shejay Furniture Shop.
Seized at the furniture shops were timbers of various species such as Mariapa, Dao, Lamud, Lauan, Mahogany, Gmelina, Falcata, Yakal, Narra, Lavan, Ipil-Ipil, and Guijo, collectively valued at P623,102.85.
The suspects were brought to the NBI-Region 12 Office in Koronadal City for booking procedures, and were arrested after failure to present the necessary Department of Environment and Natural Resources permits for the lumber.
Charges for violation of Executive Order No. 277 (amending Section 28 of Presidential Decree No. 705, or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines), Republic Act 460 of 1950 (the Illegal Possession of Forest Products Act), and Section 7(a) of RA 9175 (the Chainsaw Act of 2002) were filed against the suspects.
The seized items were turned over to the Office of the DENR-Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat.
On Feb. 9, Environment Undersecretary Arturo Valdez, head of the National Anti-Environmental Crime Task Force, requested the NBI for a manpower complement during the group’s enforcement operations against rampant illegal logging activities in Region 12, covering the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and South Cotabato.
To coordinate the request and plan the raid, NBI-ENCD operatives went to General Santos City to link up with the Office of the Regional Director of the DENR in Region 12 and NBI Koronadal City.
The NBI said some establishments in Sultan Kudarat were behind the illegal activities of cutting naturally-grown trees, and gathering and collecting the square timber logs without the necessary licenses.
On February 24, the NBI environmental task force surveilled and verified their information, which revealed that the furniture shops of the suspects had been operating without the DENR permits and had not been paying taxes.
A certification dated March 1, issued by Koronadal Cenro officer Badjury Mustapha, said the furniture shops had no clearance from the DENR to operate a wood processing plant, and had no lumber dealer permit or log supply contract.