Illegal logs seized

AGUSAN DEL SUR, Philippines—Government operatives on Wednesday seized a 10-wheel truck owned by a village chair after it tried to sneak out illegally cut logs taken from the Mt. Magdiwata watershed.

The operatives  intercepted the truck with falcata logs while it was crossing the border of the national highway between Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur provinces.

Forest rangers from the San Francisco Water District tipped off environment officials about the illegal logs.

Police said the truck is owned by Jose Necresio Orapa, village chair of Libertad in neighboring Prosperidad town.

Orapa, in an interview with a local radio station, said he was not aware that his truck would be transporting the illegal logs.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources office here was ordered last week to closely monitor the possible smuggling of falcata logs felled by illegal loggers led by a certain Titing Pintado. Chris V. Panganiban, Inquirer Mindanao