The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 seized almost P800,000 worth of teak lumber (Tectona grandis) Thursday afternoon, the agency’s biggest confiscation in two years.
According to the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Cebu City, a trailer truck with plate number GXU-340 loaded with at least 917 pieces of teak lumber, equivalent to 8,732 board feet disembarked from a Ro-Ro vessel in the Ouano Wharf in Mandaue City last April 3 at 1:00 in the afternoon.
The illegal lumber and the truck were confiscated after inconsistencies of information were observed in the shipment documents.
“It has to be stressed here that transport of forest products should be covered with original documents for monitoring and controlling purposes and the entries thereat should be consistent with the actual kind of species and quantity of forest products and other details,” said DENR 7 Regional Executive Director Dr. Isabelo R. Montejo in a press statement.
The truck was intercepted inside the Ouano wharf by a four-member investigating team created by Montejo after receiving a tip on the illegal shipment.
According to Raul Pasoc, chief of CENRO’s forest management section, who led the investigation, wrong plate numbers were indicated in the Self-Monitoring Form (SMF).
Pasoc also said that the SMF had an expired validity date which was from March 29, 2014 to April 2, 2014 only. The name of the consignee was also different in the SMF which is Universal Lumber and in the inspection report which is Provera Solutions Corporation.
He also said an SMF should not have been issued by the Cenro of Albuera, Leyte, Eugene Mozo of Albuera, Leyte because teak trees are considered as premium hardwood species.
Instead, a special private land timber permit (SPLTP) should have been secured. This can be issued by the Regional Executive Director for volumes not exceeding 10 cubic meters. But if it exceeds 10 cubic meters then it should be issued by the DENR Secretary. This us according to DENR Administrative Order No. 2000-01 dated February 28, 2000.
SPLTP is a permit issued to a landowner specifically for the cutting, gathering, and utilization of premium wood species including Benguet pine, both planted and naturally-grown trees.
The confiscated contraband is believed to have come from Barangay Puertobello, Merida, Leyte. The lumber with the trailer are now deposited at the CENRO Cebu City for safekeeping to be used in the administrative seizure proceedings.