After delay of 6 months, illegal log probe starts

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—After a delay of more than six months, the government prosecutor in Balanga City has begun a preliminary investigation of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) complaint against a Bataan mayor for alleged illegal possession of forest products.

Balanga Prosecutor Oscar Lasam said he started the inquiry against Bagac Mayor Rommel del Rosario on Tuesday.

Lawyer Ricardo Lazaro, the provincial environment and natural resources officer in Bataan, earlier complained that Lasam failed to act on the complaint since it was filed on Jan. 8. The rules require prosecutors or judges to conclude preliminary investigation in 90 days.

“We find this case to be slow-moving,” said Ricardo Calderon, DENR director in Central Luzon.

He said judges and prosecutors usually conduct swift preliminary investigation of cases filed by the agency.

But Lasam said the delay was due to lack of prosecutors. He did not elaborate.

A check by the Inquirer showed that the Balanga City prosecutor’s office had 950 cases in the preliminary investigation stage last year. It handles 710 cases in four regional trial courts and a municipal trial court.

There are 97 prosecutors in Central Luzon, below the 147 needed to fill in 20 offices.

Del Rosario did not reply to the Inquirer’s calls and text messages when sought to comment on the case.

Lazaro’s team seized more than 1,000 board feet of lumber from the mayor’s house in La Katrina Subdivision in Balanga City on Jan. 5. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon