The Department of Environment & Natural Resources in Negros Oriental has asked the barangay captain of Puhagan in Valencia, Negros Oriental to submit a sworn statement regarding the alleged illegally-cut trees that were loaded in an ambulance and which were seized earlier in March.
Efren Rombaoa, Community Environment & Natural Resources Officer, disclosed in an interview Wedneday afternoon they have yet to file a formal complaint against those apprehended after they get the side of the Puhagan barangay captain.
Rombaoa said they need to “give her a chance to explain her side on what happened then”, referring to Puhagan Barangay Capt. Leonarda Sarita.
According to Rombaoa, the persons who were apprehended after they were caught loading the forest products into an ambulance of Barangay Puhagan implicated the village head in their affidavits. He did not elaborate.
The CENRO II said he had written the barangay captain last week to submit her affidavit so that the DENR can move ahead with the process of investigation.
A police blotter report from the Valencia Police Station showed that sometime on March 20, a team of DENR-CENRO personnel intercepted and apprehended three men for alleged conveyance of forest products on a government ambulance without the necessary permits.
The police report identified the three as Policarpio Bantillo Bartolome, 60 years old, married; Alfredo Trumata Marquez, 42, married; and, Quirico Abrantes, 56, married, all residents of barangay Puhagan, Valencia.
Apprehended during the operation were forest products and conveyance of 12 pieces of ‘logbolts’ of Agoho tree with different dimensions, with a total volume of 0.0682 cubic meters, and one unit of Nissan Urvan marked AMBULANCE with plate number SDY-827, and belonging to Barangay Puhagan local government.
The police report said the suspects were caught in the act of loading and transporting the forest products into the ambulance.
They failed to present a permit to cut and a permit to transport, Rombaoa said.
CENRO II Rombaoa said as soon as they have received the affidavit of the barangay captain, the DENR here will review all affidavits submitted and give the persons involved a chance to explain because “that is the essence of due process”.
After a review by their legal division, they will come up with a resolution to be forwarded to the DENR regional office who will finally dispose of the report, Rombaoa pointed out.
Rombaoa explained they had earlier asked the Department of Interior & Local Government in Region 18/Negros Island Region to take custody of the ambulance.
However, the DILG-18 said the ambulance should instead be turned over to the LGU-Valencia.
Valencia Mayor Edgar Teves had agreed to take custody of the said ambulance but because he was away at the time, the vehicle was turned over instead to the vice mayor, said Rombaoa.
Rombaoa assured that the release of the ambulance will not have any bearing on the criminal liability of those involved.
He also clarified that guards of the Energy Development Corp. had only assisted the CENRO II personnel, who were at the geothermal site for routine patrol, when the apprehension took place.
CENRO II Rombaoa also explained that under Sec. 16 of Presidential Decree 705 as amended, forest products, regardless of kind, volume and size, and even for “firewood”, that are without documents are subject for apprehension. (Judy Flores Partlow)
