The Department of Environment & Natural Resources in Negros Oriental is strengthening its campaign on law enforcement, particularly on all forms of conveyances.
This is in response to a directive from DENR-Negros Island Region Regional Director Al Orolfo, who warned of a one-strike police for employees who will not follow orders, disclosed Viernov Grefalde, OIC provincial environment & natural resources officer, on Wednesday.
The campaign against all forms of conveyances will include those on land, at sea and even in the air, that are found to be guilty of transporting illegally cut trees and other forest products as well as other prohibited items related to the environment, said Grefalde.
Director Orolfo issued a directive recently for the different DENR offices at the provincial and local levels in the region to intensify their campaign specifically against the illegal cutting of trees, poaching and the like, Grefalde added.
Grefalde explained that any conveyance, whether four-wheeled vehicles such as cargo trucks, motorcabs, motorcycles, pedicabs, private vehicles and even boats, must be apprehended and impounded if found guilty of transporting illegal forest products.
This time, the DENR will no longer accept any motion for reconsideration from the owners of conveyances, who in the past usually say they were only hired but had no knowledge whether what they were transporting was illegal or not, according to the PENRO here.
Owners of conveyances must demand from the owner or shipper of the forest products, such as lumber, legal documents like a certification of verification from the DENR or a transport permit, among others, before they load and deliver the goods, Grefalde said.
DENR-NIR Director Orolfo wants full implementation of Executive Order No. 23 which bans the cutting of trees in natural forests, he added.
The DENR is coordinating with other law enforcement agencies such as the Philippine National Police, the Coast Guard, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other similar units to assist them in the intensified law enforcement campaign, said Grefalde.
Meanwhile, the DENR in Negros Oriental is conducting a thorough investigation on the illegal manufacture of wooden keels believed to be for a supposed government project in Tayasan, Negros Oriental.
Viernov Grefalde, OIC PENROdisclosed Monday in an interview that an administrative hearing will be conducted this coming Thursday or Friday to determine who shall be held liable for the violations.
Grefalde confirmed that personnel of the Community Environment & Natural Resources Office in Ayungon town, led by forest ranger Mateo Emperado, with the assistance of the Tayasan police, had apprehended 38 wood keels made of lauan and almaciga during massive operations in the evening of February 10, 2017.
The illegal wooden keels were seized in the coastal barangays of Matuog, Sta. Cruz, Lutay and Poblacion, all in Tayasan town in northern Negros Oriental.
The wood keel is used as stern in the making of bancas, and the said keels are believed to be illegally sourced, said CENRO-Ayungon chief Aniceto Aquino.
According to Aquino, they still do not have names as to who shall be held liable for the illegal manufacture of the wooden keels.
The wooden keels are now impounded and under the custody of the Office of the CENRO-Ayungon pending further investigation.
Meanwhile, OIC-PENRO Grefalde disclosed he has received information that the wooden keels are part of a livelihood program of another government agency for marginalized fishermen.
The said government agency was not named pending investigation.
However, no claimant has appeared to claim ownership of the wood keels, said Grefalde.
According to Grefalde, any claimant will be charged accordingly because it is illegal to cut forest trees such as lauan and almaciga.
DENR Executive Order No. 23 bans the cutting of trees in natural forests, Grefalde pointed out.
CENRO-Ayungon chief Aniceto Aquino said the administrative hearing will determine the alleged supplier of the wooden keels as well the verification of the alleged carpenters or makers of the same. (PNA/JFP)
