The Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force (DENR-AILTF) apprehended P350 thousand worth of illegally transported Narra (Pterocarpus indicus) in San Juan City on Sunday, 5 September 2021.
The Task Force – assisted by San Juan City police and personnel from the Enforcement Division of DENR National Capital Region – likewise arrested four (4) individuals responsible for transporting the wood without the necessary permit from the environment agency. The team also seized the vehicle the suspects used in transporting the forest product.
The suspects will be charged with violation of Section 77 of Presidential Decree No. 705 or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines, as amended. If found guilty, they shall be punished with penalties imposed under Articles 309 and 310 of the Revised Penal Code. Moreover, the forest products found in their possession, along with the machinery, equipment, and implements they've used in transporting the same, shall be confiscated in favor of the government.
DENR-NCR Regional Executive Director Jacqueline A. Caancan credits the success of the campaign against illegal forest products in Metro Manila to the intensified cooperation and assistance of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other stakeholders.
Metro Manila, according to Director Caancan, continues to be a hot spot for the illegal trade of wild animals and forest products. “What we need to understand however is that Metro Manila only serves as a transshipment point for these illegal logs and wild animals. These come from places outside the National Capital Region”, Director Caancan explained.
“To be effective in our campaign, we need to involve and strengthen the cooperation among concerned government agencies and those in the private sector. To stop illegal logging and wildlife trade, we need to step up our efforts in preventing the commission of these crimes against the environment at their source, that is in our forests and rural areas”, she added.
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