2 held in Occidental Mindoro over illegal lumber

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — Two individuals were apprehended in Occidental Mindoro’s Calintaan town on Wednesday for allegedly transporting undocumented forest products.

A joint team from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and the Calintaan Municipal Police intercepted a tricycle ferrying lumber along the Diversion Road in Barangay Poblacion.

READ: Cops seize P204,000 worth of illegal lumber in Oriental Mindoro

The tricycle operators failed to present a transport permit and other documents required under existing forestry laws for carrying four pieces of red lauan lumber with a combined volume of about 151.66 board feet and an estimated value of P14,766.

The team confiscated the contraband as well as the motorcycle and sidecar allegedly used to transport the lumber.

The suspects were taken to the Calintaan Municipal Police Station for documentation and would face charges for violating Presidential Decree No. 705, or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines.

“Every forest we protect helps build safer, healthier, and more resilient communities. Through Project T.R.E.E. (Take Responsibility for the Enhancement of the Environment), we will continue working with the DENR and our communities to safeguard our natural resources through the fair and consistent enforcement of environmental laws, ” said Mimaropa regional police director Brig. Gen. Christopher Dela Cruz./coa