3 persons arrested, 2,000 board ft of lumber seized in Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY – Soldiers of the Army’s 37th Infantry Battalion arrested three people and seized almost 2,000 board feet of lumber and an unlicensed gun in Barira, Maguindanao at past 7 am on Tuesday.

Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, the commander of the 6th Infantry Division, said soldiers confiscated 1,832 board feet of illegally-cut lumbers of various sizes loaded in two cargo trucks that were intercepted in Sitio Kalilangan, Barangay Lamin, Barira, Maguindanao.

He said the illegally-cut forest products were being transported without a permit and without accompanying documents to Cotabato City.

Arrested were Rudtha Fanares, Marju Elias and Bacve Morog, all hired laborers and residents of Barangay Lipawan, Barira, Maguindanao.

But the drivers of the two cargo trucks, a Mazda Titan owned by Noria Baruto Taguya and a Mazda Bongo owned by Saadudin Marangit Bauntong, managed to escape.

First Lt. Ric Pitallano, commanding officer 37th IB Bravo company who intercepted the cargo, said an unlicensed cal. 22 rifle with ammunition was also found in one of the vehicles. He said the troops would always be on alert for illegally-cut forest products to protect the environment.