Coconut lumber. File Photo
LUCENA CITY—Police intercepted Wednesday a truck with illegally cut coconut lumber worth P150,000 and arrested three persons in Tayabas City in Quezon province.
Quezon police reported on Thursday, July 21, that anti-illegal logging operatives flagged down around 11 p.m. a ten-wheeler truck driven by Jerry Grielbo in Barangay Calumpang.
The authorities found the vehicle loaded with illegally cut coconut lumber measuring 13,000 board feet (30.67 cubic meters).
The police said the driver and his two helpers, Graciano Gonzaga and Rico Alauri, failed to produce a Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) permit for the cargo, prompting the authorities to confiscate the lumber and impound the vehicle.
The suspects were detained and are facing charges.
Under Republic Act 10593 or the Coconut Preservation Act of 1995, cutting coconut trees is prohibited unless the local PCA office permits it.
RA 10593 allows cutting only when a tree is “severely disease-infested and beyond rehabilitation” or “severely damaged” by typhoon or lightning.
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