The local authorities in Talisay City yesterday confiscated 23 pieces of illegal lumber in barangay Tangke, Talisay City.
The 1,392.2 board feet of lumber worth at least P300,000 was believed to have come from Surigao, said Gregorio dela Torre, chief of the Fisheries Sea Ecological Care (Fiseca)—Talisay City’s Bantay Dagat personnel.
Members of Fiseca together with the Philippine Coast Guard confiscated the 23 pieces of lumber after it was unloaded from a motor banca without a name on it yesterday dawn.
The raiders, however, failed to arrest anybody who fled during the raid.
Dela Torre then ordered his men to guard the illegal lumber and wait for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to transfer the hot lumber in their compound.
Meanwhile, one of the Fiseca members accused his neighbor of choking and punching him.
Ben Borres told his chief Dela Torre about the incident.
Borres claimed that Michael Abay attacked him because of the confiscated lumber.
“Iyang kung gi-ingnan nga ‘ikaw ha mag-apil-apil gyud ka,’” Borces said.
Borces said that he would file charges against Abay./Correspondent Gabriel Bonjoc