TWELVE persons were criminally charged on Monday after they were caught cutting trees in a 1.5-hectare protected forest in barangay Tabunan, Cebu City.
They were arrested on Saturday morning cutting and gathering trees without a permit, collecting by-products, occupying a dwelling, and excavating and destroying natural land formations, according to the charges.
The arrest was done by a joint team of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) and the Cebu City Police Office.
The suspects said they were hired by a certain James Uy, who had “bought” the area from a registered claimant.
They said Uy ordered them to clear the area for his planned guyabano farm.
Law enforcers also found two bunkhouses in the area, foothpath blocks leading to the highway about 100 meters away and two steel electrical posts.
Based on the DENR-7 inventory, 301 boyon-boyon trees and 38 pako with a market value of P41,960.70 were cut down.
The cut trees were two meters tall with a total volume of 2.414 cubic meters.
Eduardo Llamedo, DENR spokesman, said the trees were indigenous and planted 10 years ago. The recovered trees remain in custody of the the DENR-7.
Llamedo estimated the environmental damage on the 1.5-hectare lot to reach at least P500,000.
Cristituto Quia-ot, Elesio Bacalso, Elizardo Racaza, Florencio Borres, Meling Abendon, Marjon Ababon, Maynard Ababon, Jimmy Epe, Carmelito Fernandez, Juan Compra, Lolita Epe, and Nene Ministerio were charged with violating Section 14 of Republic Act (RA) 9486, or the Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL) Act.
The area is part of the 505 hectares of protected land placed under the stewardship of retired Gen. Tiburcio Fusilero in a 2002 agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) as part of their Adopt a Mountain program.
Ariel Rica, the CCPL Protected Area superintendent (Pasu), said they received complaints from Fusilero’s personnel on May 3.
After completing the papers for the arrest, they apprehended the suspects.
“So far, this is one of our biggest arrests of violators who were caught in the act,” he said.
Cristito Ruaza, project in-charge of the area, said the group was warned not to continue cutting trees in the area last April 28.
Ruaza said they then had already after around 150 trees like narra and tugas to build their bunkhouse.
But when Ruaza’s group returned on May 3 in the area, they instead saw the bunkhouse already in place.
DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Maximo O. Dichoso urged citizens to report any violations or illegal activities within the CCPL.
June is celebrated as Envornmental Month.
“We will not hesitate to enforce the laws, rules and regulations relevant to the CCPL,” he said.
If proven guilty, violators have to pay a P5,000 to P500,000 fine or spend one to to six years in jail or both.
The 28,312-hectare CCPL, which was established through Republic Act No. 9486, covers five watershed of Buhisan, Mananga, Kotkot-Lusaran, Sudlon National Park, and the Central Cebu National Park.