AUTHORITIES seized 395 pieces of Lawaan lumber in barangay Punta Engaño, Lapu-Lapu City.
The pile of lumber was found by the shoreline which was part of a property owned by businessman Ben San.
Fehl Cabarse, caretaker of the lot in sitio Malingin, told personnel of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-7 she didn’t know the owner of the lumber.
Cabarse said no one claimed the lumber after they were unloaded from a motorized banca last week.
Arnold Umandam, the Community-Based Forest Monitoring coordinator of CENRO-7, said they learned about the presence of the pile of lumber from a concerned citizen.
The lumber worth P436,499 will be subjected to administrative seizure proceedings if no one shows up to claim them, said Umandam.
Umandam said the owner should present the necessary documents before the lumber will be released.
The lumber could be sold for P60 per board foot.
If proven that the lumber was illegally transported, the owner could be charged with violation of Section 77 of Presidential Decree 705 in relation to EO 23 (declaring moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in natural and residual forest).
Violation of the law carries a penalty of an imprisonment of 12 years minimum and a fine determined by the court.
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