Illegal timber, charcoal seized by Lapu task force

A 34-year-old truck driver was arrested by police in barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City, last Wednesday.

A patrolling Task Force Kalikasan led by SPO1 Jomar Ybañez hailed a truck loaded with bundles of firewood and sacks of charcoal along M.L. Quezon Highway around 11 p.m.

Upon inspection, Ybañez said 1,000 bundles of timber and 80 sacks of charcoal worth at least P26,000 were discovered.

But Ybañez said the declared volume of cargo in the permit shown by 34-year-old driver Henry Oliverio of Poblacion, Compostela, was only 300 bundles of firewood and 25 sacks of charcoal.

Ybañez said Oliverio, who was on his way to the poblacion to deliver the cargo, said he was unaware that the volume was more than the permit’s declared amount.

Ybañez said the timber and the charcoal were turned over to the City Environment and Natural Resources Office in Lapu-Lapu City while Oliverio was detained at the Lapu-Lapu police precinct.

Meanwhile, at 10 a.m. yesterday, Ybañez’s team was tipped off on illegal extraction of Mactan stones in sitio Sudtonggan, barangay Basak.

Police heard two blasts while approaching the area and later spotted three persons extracting Mactan stones.

Upon noticing the police, the men ran away, but police gave chase and caught Fernando Monicar, 42, and Cristituto Alcomendras.

A certain Daniel Palabrica eluded arrest.

Police seized two iron bars, two shovels and two axes from the men, who were residents of the barangay.

Monicar and Alcomendras, who are detained at the Lapu-Lapu police precinct, did not have permits for their extraction activities.