Vigilance Against Crime Rising in Malungon

Malungon, Sarangani, June 14, 2017 - Law Enforcement Team from DENR- CENRO Glan discovers newly sawn Narra lumber in  Barangay Kinabalan, a remote barangay of Malungon in Sarangani after a confidential tipster alarmed the DENR of the incident.

At around 12 midnight of July 8, the tipster informed the DENR of the case that immediately dispatched a team of forest rangers to the location about 3 kilometers from the Barangay site. The team, with the assistance of the barangay and municipal representatives, found no one on site except the 75 pieces of lumber of various dimensions that were deserted by the poachers. The DENR is currently conducting in-depth investigation based on the information of the tipster to resolve the case and prevent similar incident to happen in the future.

Cutting of trees without DENR permit is liable for violation of Section 68 of PD 705, as amended, and Section 77 of Republic Act 7161 . Executive Order No. 26, Series of 2011 also prohibits cutting of timber in natural and residual forest. Narra as a premium species is also strictly regulated. 

After a preempted Narra poaching In Barangay Kinabalan of Malungon in Sarangani Province due to the report of a confidential informant to the DENR, another incident of timber poaching in Barangay Alkikan of the same town was reported by a concern citizen.

The law enforcement team of DENR- CENRO Glan responded to the report and found abandoned pieces of newly sawn lumber and 7 logs of young Lauan trees inside a residual forest of said barangay. The case is currently being investigated based on the information of the tipster to build a case and to prevent similar incident in the future.

The site is one of the patrol areas of LAWIN Team, under the LAWIN Forest and Biodiversity Protection System of the DENR that integrated a science-based assessment, user-friendly and the use of innovative technology on the monitoring the status of the forest. Through a mobile application called Cybertracker, members of the community living near a protected area can report forest conditions. The system may have inspired the people of Malungon to be vigilant against environmental crimes. (Wenie G. Vergara, Rogelio Lego, Nicolas Tangaro and Dante Dichoso/DENR – Glan, Sarangani)