The Mimaropa police have seized an estimated ?2.49 million worth of illegally sourced forest products and arrested 86 violators in a series of operations conducted across the region since the start of the year.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Police Regional Operations and Management Division (ROMD) said law enforcers confiscated 38,826 board feet of lumber and 2,000 flitches, with a combined estimated value of ?2,492,092.00.
The operations enforced Presidential Decree No. 705, or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines, which bans the unauthorized cutting, possession, transport, and sale of forest products without proper permits.
MIMAROPA Regional Police Director Brigadier General Christopher R. Dela Cruz, in a statement, said: ‘Illegal logging does not only destroy our forests-it also threatens our environment, our communities, and the future of the next generation, which is why we will continue to pursue those who violate our environmental laws while strengthening partnerships that help protect and conserve our natural resources.’
Complementing its enforcement drive, the regional police also advanced environmental restoration through PROJECT T.R.E.E. (Take Responsibility for the Enhancement of the Environment) by planting a total of 26,307 tree seedlings across the region in collaboration with government agencies, local governments, and community volunteers.
Mimaropa or Region IV-B is composed of the provinces of Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan