DENR sues 4 men for cutting of century-old narra tree
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has filed a criminal complaint against four persons including a DENR official for the illegal cutting of a century-old narra tree inside the Bulabog Putian National Park in Dingle town in Iloilo.
In the complaint filed before the Iloilo Provincial Prosecutors Office on July 29, DENR Regional Executive Director Lormelyn Claudio charged Jerry Bangeles, Roberto Gonzales, Helacio Prequencia and Cesar Leaban for violating Presidential Decree No. 705 (Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines), Republic Act No. 7586 (National Integrated Protected System Act) and Republic Act No. 9147 (Wildlife Act).
Leaban is the community environment and natural resources officer (CENRO) of Barotac Nuevo town which supervises the 854-hectare Bulabog-Putian National Park in Dingle town, around 42 km northeast of here.
The respondents, all residents of Dingle, were accused of being involved in the cutting the narra tree on the evening of July 10 until early morning the next day.
They were also tagged in the hauling and the cutting into pieces of the tree into commercial lumber reaching 1.19 cubic meters or 4,744.56 board feet with an estimated value of P284,673.60.
In its complaint, the DENR said the narra tree is a "premium and endangered wildlife species."
The DENR said in a statement that it has launched an investigation on the possible "negligence and involvement" of personnel of the national park and the CENRO in Barotac Nuevo, particularly those at the licensing and permitting section.
Leaban has been relieved of his position and transferred to the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office in Negros Occidental.
"We have been charged with many accusations in the past, and now is the time where the perpetrators themselves whom we had filed charges had volunteered to give their testimonies to end the abuse of our forest especially in the Bulabog Puti-an National Park and the mountains of Dingle," said Claudio in a statement.
Gonzales and Bangeles have executed affidavits admitting involvement in the cutting of the tree and hauling of the lumber.
Bangeles, a carpenter and chainsaw operator, said in his affidavit that there were at least eight persons involved in the cutting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. But he said he was made to understand that the cutting had a permit.
In his affidavit, Gonzales said he provided two chainsaws but said that it was his his co-respondent in the case Helacio Prequencia who proposed the cutting of the narra tree.
He alleged that Prequencia referred to Leaban as "Boss" during a meeting at a restaurant in Dingle on July 11. Prequencia allegedly said the "Boss" wanted them to fast-tract the cutting of the tree because he was short of funds.
Leaban could not be reached for comment but his legal counsel, Eugenio Original denied the allegations against his client.
"He is not involved in any way in the cutting of the narra tree and the allegations against him are false," Original said in a telephone interview. He said Leaban was in the restaurant on July 11 but it was "by chance."
He said Gonzales was a respondent in previous cases filed by Leaban for illegal cutting of trees.