Mayor questions seizure of cut trees

Loboc Mayor Leon Calipusan strongly questioned the seizure of his truck loaded with assorted cut trees while traversing the national highway in Bilar town last Wednesday.

Seized from his truck were some 900 board feet of gemelina and mahogany wood bolts.

The mayor's truck was impounded by authorities of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) who were holding a meeting in Bilar town at the time of the apprehension.

While he admitted that he had no papers to support the transporting of the items, the mayor said he was willing to pay the penalties to be imposed by the authorities.

Statement of the Loboc mayor came after he allegedly pointed out "switching" of wood and sudden change of inventory by the DENR personnel.

His allegations were based on the fact that the first report signed by the DENR team indicated in writing that "all gemelina and mahogany wood bolts are dead."

However, when the mayor proceeded to the area where his truck was impounded, the new inventory stated that the seized items were "freshly cut trees." He questioned why the same forest ranger Tertuliano Lamantas signed both the first and second reports which were indeed conflicting.

A Xerox copy of both reports furnished to the Chronicle showed conflicting entries of its inventory. The first report stated that the seized items were all dead. The mayor was surprised to read in the second report that the trees were "freshly cut."

The mayor hinted of a political motive behind the impounding of his truck since a forester involved in the apprehension or inventory of seized items is the brother of a defeated vice mayoralty bet in Loboc town.

When interviewed by the Chronicle, acting CENRO Eusalem Quiwag said he will hold his comments on the mayor's statement as he expects an investigation to be conducted by PENRO Nestor Canda regarding the case.