Log caravan not meant to impress, says DENR

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Drawing flak for a caravan of seized timber and vehicles last week, officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Cagayan Valley on Monday changed their tune, saying the transport was not meant to impress anyone, not even President Aquino.

Benjamin Tumaliuan, environment regional director, said the transport of 36 vehicles, along with their cargo of 198 cubic meters of illegally cut forest products, to Metro Manila was not meant to show off their agency’s accomplishments.

“We were not trying to impress anyone. That [we were to display our accomplishments] was a reason that my staff made up when the convoy left the region to mislead owners and prevent them from sabotaging our trip,” he said.

400-km trip

On Thursday last week, a fleet of 36 trucks, vans and jeepneys, carrying confiscated lumber, left the DENR compounds in various towns in Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino and arrived at the DENR central office in Quezon City on Friday. The vehicles traveled more than 400 kilometers.

Tumaliuan’s June 2 memorandum directed the DENR’s provincial and community environment officers in the region to prepare all lumber and vehicles for transport to the DENR central office.

“In compliance [with] the instruction of the secretary on May 31, 2011, reiterated on June 1, 2011, all confiscated conveyances and the forest products loaded thereon shall be turned over to the central office before June 15 for presentation by [Secretary Ramon Paje] to the President,” Tumaliuan said in the memorandum.

Included in the turnover were 22 vehicles each for Cagayan and Isabela, three for Quirino and one for Nueva Vizcaya, which covers confiscated cargo from January 2010 to June this year. Only 36 vehicles made the trip.

People who read story on the caravan online slammed the DENR’s move, saying it was a waste of people’s money.

Giving up custody

Tumaliuan, however, said the real reason for the transport of the seized lumber and vehicles was for the DENR offices in Cagayan Valley to give up custody of the contraband and fend off “pressure” from its owners.

“Our [employees] have received threats from owners that if they see DENR personnel driving around with their vehicles, they (owners) will kill them,” he said.

Tumaliuan said he also received reports that illegal loggers, whom he declined to name, had been offering DENR officials bribes, ranging from P50,000 to P1 million, in exchange for the release of the vehicles and cargo.

“[Critics] may say that what we did was not practical, considering all the expenses that we have incurred. But we believe it will be more of a loss for the government if we let those [confiscated lumber and vehicles] remain in our custody, and expose our personnel to harm. The threats may just force them to accept the bribe,” he said.

Enraged officials

Tumaliuan said other DENR officials were enraged when they read the Inquirer story on Saturday, especially that it portrayed them as “nagpapa-impress (showoffs).”

“If only you were [with us] when they read the news story, they may have punched you out of disgust,” he told this correspondent.

DENR records showed that in 2009, before Tumaliuan took office, 23 shipments of illegally cut lumber seized that year were all released.

Reasons cited for the release included the posting of bond by owners and “[humanitarian] consideration,” he said.

“I have not and will never release [confiscated shipments] even if I have authority because it demoralizes our personnel in the field who have worked hard for these apprehensions. Instead, I give out incentives of P10,000 for every shipment caught,” he said.

Tumaliuan said DENR will work with the Department of Justice and the Land Transportation Office for the transfer of ownership of the seized vehicles to the government.

Paje, he said, would decide how these will be disposed for use by the DENR for its operations.

The cargo of illegally cut lumber will be turned over to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) so these can be turned into school desks and chairs, Tumaliuan said.