Authorities seize truck with 500 sacks of illegal charcoals at Calapan City port

Involved local DENR official to face administrative sanctions

CALAPAN CITY – An official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources here may face administrative cases following the confiscation of authorities last week of a ten-wheeler truck which contains 500 sacks of illegal charcoals at the Calapan City port, which was discovered to have been given clearance by the said DENR executive to transport even though it is prohibited by a local law in Oriental Mindoro.

The permit to travel given by Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) Isagani Manalili to the intercepted truck with bulk of wood charcoals is a violation of the existing Provincial Ordinance No. 015, which prohibits the shipment of the said forest products in the whole province.

This is also not in conformity with the existing memorandum issued by Provincial DENR Officer Arthur B. Serna that mandates and advises all officials and personnel of the said department to strictly monitor all movements of charcoal and forest products and restrict them within the unit’s respective areas of jurisdiction in observance of the local ordinance in Oriental Mindoro.

Based on the official reports given by the arresting DENR Forest Ranger Ruel A. Magboo, together with Forester Teodoro S. Dobles and Virgilio G. Mantuano, the 10-wheeler truck, with plate number RHM-905 and was carrying a total of 500 sacks of charcoaled hard woods, was accosted in the DENR checkpoint inside the sea terminal in Brgy. San Antonio in this city at around 2:30 A.M. of April 15.

The said vehicle was originated from Mansalay, a southernmost town in Oriental Mindoro, according to its driver named Jimmy A. Soriano, a resident of Iloilo City.  The statement was corroborated by the truck’s crew, identified as Bernard S. Buenviaje of Mansalay and Ryan B. Manalon of Brgy. San Aquilino, Roxas, said province, who both claimed that they were given clearance to transport the said forest products by the DENR’s Community Office in Roxas town, also in Oriental Mindoro.

The three suspects even presented to Magboo and the other apprehending officers, SPO2 Hermoso Javier and SPO1 Wilmer Villanueva of the 403rd Philippine National Police (PNP) Maritime Command, the certificate of verification signed by CENRO Manalili.  The certificate of verification virtually allows its holder to transport a vehicle including forest products inside it.

However, the existing local law in Oriental Mindoro was violated in this case by the three apprehended persons while a possible administrative sanctions will be faced by Manalili for defying PENRO’s memorandum as well as the DENR Administrative Order No. 97-32, on the treatment of forest products, when the said DENR official signed the certificate of verification authorizing the suspects to haul the subject wood charcoals.

The case is being further investigated and Manalili was told by Serna to issue an official explanation regarding the matter while the said truck and its cargoes have been properly turned over to the provincial government for safekeeping.( By JUANCHO R. MAHUSAY)