AUTHORITIES seized more than 6,000 board feet of lumber of premium hardwood species worth more than a million pesos.
Paquito T. Moreno Jr., Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional director in Central Luzon, said combined forces of DENR, the 7th Infantry Division of Philippine Army (PA), and Philippine National Police (PNP) raided a one-hectare compound in the village of Langla in Jaen town of Nueva Ecija by virtue of search warrant issued by executive judge Celso Baguio of Gapan City.
"Premium species of Yakal, Lauan, and Molave were found inside the compound without necessary documents. These species are banned for cutting and obviously they are illegally sourced out from our remaining natural forest in Sierra Madre mountains," Moreno said in a statement.
He said the DENR does not issue any permit for the extraction and utilization of these hardwood species.
Fred Sadueste, chief of the enforcement division, said that before the bust, the outfit posed as a hardware or construction outlet registered under Jocelyn Flaminianio, which was later revealed to double as a wood processing facility.
"We are not tolerating our lumber dealer permit holder to used illegally sourced forest products for their business," he said.
DENR said the Flaminiano group controls about 60 percent of the trading of illegally sourced lumber from the Sierra Madre mountains in Aurora, Nueva Ecija, and Bulacan.
The illegal forest product came from the Sierra Madre Mountain range in Dona Remedios Trinidad (DRT) town in Bulacan which pass through the river system of Sumacbao to General Tinio in Nueva Ecija, Sadueste said.
DENR operatives also seized assorted wood processing equipment.
The DENR is now preparing criminal and administrative charges to be filed against the owner of the wood processing facility.
If proven guilty, the offender could face imprisonment of more than 10 years under Articles 309 and 310 of the Revised Penal Code, for violation of section 77 of the Presidential Decree (PD) 705 as amended or the Revised Forestry Code involving possession of illegal sourced forest products. (PR)