by Andrew Doga-ong
BAUKO, Mt. Province- Two persons here who cut 29 pine trees in a watershed area here are in hot water for violating Presidential Decree (PD) 705 or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines.


PD 705 penalizes individuals who cut, gather, and or transport timber or other forest products without the necessary license issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Bauko police identified the environment law violators as Simon Litilit Degay and Primo Aligo, both residents of barangay Bagnen Proper, this municipality.

Degay who was caught by barangay Bila officials in the act of cutting down a pine tree is the chainsaw operator while Aligo is allegedly the one who ordered the former to cut the pines trees within the watershed area of barangay Bila.

Joint forces from the local police, Community Environment and Natural Resources office and the Bila barangay officials who conducted ocular inspection at the watershed area found out that the suspects felled down around 29 pine trees.

Confiscated from the suspects were one chainsaw bearing Serial No. S169192467 and 24 pieces of one inch by six inches by 12 inches (1”x6”x12”) pine lumber. All seized items are now under the custody of the Bauko police.
Police, environmental, and barangay officials are now readying the pertinent documents for filling charges against the two environment violators.

Heightened fight against illegal logging activities is in line with Executive Order 23 issued by President Benigno Aquino last February this year. The EO declares a moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forest and also creates Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force to oversee the implementation of the Order. *()