by Ben Serrano
July 18, 2009
BUTUAN CITY – Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Caraga regional office here today claimed the 2,877 pieces of lawaan logs with total volume of 998.28 cubic meters which were allegedly tried to be seized by Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) operatives last July 1 have permits and was issued by the agency twelve Certificates of Timber Origins (CTO).
DENR Caraga Regional Executive Director Edilberto Sumcio Buyser, Agusan del Norte Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Rosendo Asunto and Bayugan, Agusan del Sur Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer Consolador Mantilla told officials and members of the Butuan Press Club in an informal press briefing at the DENR office here that transportation of said logs from Agusan del Sur that passes province of Agusan del Norte and Butuan City was legal because it is properly documented.
Said DENR officials however claimed that final inventory of the logs is now on-going at the EMCO Plywood Corporation log pond in Magallanes, Agusan del Norte conducted by DENR men witnessed by Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) men and other stakeholders.
“We usually do final inventory upon arrival of the forest products delivered at wood processing plants to determine its final volume”, DENR officials said.
Transportation of said logs drew controversy after Regional Trial Court of Butuan City Executive Judge Augustos Calo issued Temporary Restraining Orders against twenty Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PAGS) personnel and eighteen Philippine Army soldiers belonging to the 30th Infantry Battalion.
On July 1, 2009, the court ordered the law enforcers within seventy two hours not to enter again the premises of EMCO Plywood Corporation, situated in Magallanes, Agusan del Norte and not to interfere or performing any form of interference in the plywood plant’s routine work particularly In lifting the subject logs from log pond to dry dock area of the company.
On July 3, 2009, the court extended same order this time for 18 days after which series of hearings for the complainants and respondents be held immediately.
The court said that after it hear and evaluate testimonies of witnesses and careful scrutiny of the documents submitted by complainant, EMCO Plywood Corporation and substance of cross examinations conducted by the defendant’s counsel, the court finds to its satisfaction that the plaintiff sufficiently established to have greatly suffered irreparable damages as a result of the June 30 raid.
The PASG personnel named in the charged sheet were retired Police Senior Supt. Celso Josol Curitana who once served as Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Director, Rafael Memita, Ernesto Salazar, Lilibeth Orong, Roumlo J. Neri, Jr., Robert Satonero, Darwin C. Alicarte, Melvin Gallardo, Jospeh Bongbong, Ricardo Mandid, Jr., Genaro Molejon, Sr., Manuelo Perez, Zacarias Aquino, Cesar Molate, Warlito Lisondato, Escolastico R. Hitgano, Jr., Expedito G. Murillo, Ronald Fortun and Albert Sawan-on.
According to the complaint of EMCO Plywood Corporation headed by Manila-based Filipino Chinese businessman Antonio Tansipek that about 9:30 in the morning of June 30, 2009, armed men in full battle gear and all armed with long firearms who introduced themselves as agents and officials of Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) accompanied by at least 18 soldiers of the 30th IB Philippine Army plunged into the EMCO compound.
The armed men then proceeded into the plywood plant’s main entrance gate and allegedly pointed barrels of their guns which are all high powered firearms to already trembling in fear plywood plant’s security guards.
The court said in its three pages order dated July 1, 2009 that it immediately issued TRO to cause further irreparable damages and that the complainant will suffer further grave injustice and that to avoid further imminent irreparable injuries it grant temporary restraining order in favor to the complainant.
The court said testimonies from three eyewitnesses of the complainant showed the PASG agents and soldiers took control of the firm’s logs without valid court order or search warrant issued by Court of Law.
In its earlier report, the PASG agents alleged that an estimated 3,000 pieces of logs worth millions of pesos were allegedly undocumented or no proper documents at all and it allegedly found toxic chemicals without proper documents stored inside EMCO premises.
Environmentalist groups on the other hand showed mixed reactions of the raid saying why only EMCO compound were being inspected and raided eventually since majority of wood processing firms in Caraga Region had no proper documents at all.
They claimed that why PASG failed to shut down 26 mini-sawmills near Agusan River who caused wanton environmental destruction of the historical river now heavily silted.
They claimed that in many instances illegally cut logs were brought to said mini-sawmills undocumented.
They wondered why the Butuan City Government failed to act and transfer said mini sawmills who at many times were found dumping toxic sawdust to the river which ultimately caused alleged many fish kills in the past, rapid heavy siltation that caused flooding to city’s low lying areas and damaged marine life and corrals.
The groups said corruption in the bureaucracy have caused miserable failure of the government to address not only wanton environmental destructions but economic sabotage at the hilt due smuggling that leads to failure to collect taxes for cash-strapped Philippine Government which only went allegedly to the pockets of few.
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