BAGAC, Bataan- The Philippine National Police scored in its anti-illegal logging campaign in this municipality.
Local police on Monday reported the discovery and confi scation of lumber hidden below sea water in Paysawan, a remote village of this mountain town adjacent to the West Philippines Sea.
PO3 Jeffrey Palad, Bagac police chief investigator, said personnel of the provincial office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources scaled the lumber with total volume of 800 board feet and identified the wood as mala-bayabas, hard timber species.
Police have intensified the drive against illegal cutting of trees in Bagac per directive of Mayor Ramil del Rosario, municipal administrator Nicanor Ancheta said. Palad said a police patrol scanning the area for illegal cutting of trees at first did not see the abandoned lumber then being high tide.
“Nang mag-low tide kinabukasan doon lang nila nakita ang mga kahoy,” Palad said. Still unknown owners apparently planned to haul the lumber during the low tide but were thwarted when the police patrol came earlier and stood watch, the chief investigator said.
Palad said the lumber will be turned-over to DENR.
