Seized logs stolen inside Mati City DENR yard

Sun.Star: MATI CITY -- An environment official here disclosed that 'many' illegally cut logs seized from illegal logging operators have been stolen from their compound. Romeo Torres, Mati community environment and natural resources officer, revealed that "many of the illegally cut logs which we seized from illegal loggers were being stolen" from their compound. "And that's because of the fact that we lack of personnel here to guard the logs in our compound," Torres said. He said they do not have any idea who is behind the theft of logs in their compound. "Whether it was inside job, I don't know. I can safely attribute it to the fact that we lack people here to guard the logs we seized from illegal loggers. Whether it was the illegal loggers themselves who have stolen the logs, we really do not know," Torres said in an interview. It was learned that the Mati Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (Cenro) has only two guards in the compound. "And they are not armed like the rest of our forest rangers," he said. The official, however, refused to give the exact number of logs stolen from their compound saying that they are still evaluating as of this interview. "But definitely, they are many and we are alarmed by the incident. We really have to take action before all these logs disappear from our compound," Torres said. He said that they will ask the local government officials here for additional guards. Torres said that he is optimistic their request will be granted "because both the city mayor of Mati, Michelle Rabat, and Davao Oriental Gov. Corazon Malanyaon are fully supportive of us especially in our campaign against illegal logging." Another concern of Torres is the "flurry of death threats" which he and fellow DENR officials received through their mobile phones as a result of their "intensified campaign" against illegal logging. Last week alone, they seized a huge volume of illegally cut logs from Barangays Mamali and Macambol in the City of Mati. "Really, I was deeply alarmed by the death threats I received as a result of our intensified drive against illegal logging because I know these people who engage in illegal logging trade are very powerful, they are heavily armed. And we don't have firearms to defend ourselves," said Torres. He said that based on the information they received, retired military and police officials in the region are behind the illegal logging trade in the province. "Fortunately, top local government officials here like Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat and Governor Malanyaon are fully supportive to our campaign and they are really hell-bent on stopping the illegal logging trade here," Torres said. - Sun.Star