Cops told: Enforce environmental laws

Cebu Provincial Police Office director Carmelo Valmoria has ordered his policemen to prioritize the enforcement of environmental laws.

The protection of the environment is important especially at this point in time, said Valmoria, as he reminded all police stations to be always on guard for the environment.

Among the environmental concerns are illegal extraction of sand, gravel and stones in specified quantities and locations; illegal fishing; illegal cutting of trees; transport and sale of coconuts and many others.

Some law enforcement units recently scored under “Oplan Kalikasan” in the past four days.

In Carcar City, a team composed of SPO2 Aurelio Luzano, SPO1 Aldrin Abayabay, PO3 Vicente Garces and PO2 Paulino Sanchez, arrested four men for cutting Olayan trees without a permit last Thursday in sitio Tabla, barangay Buenavista.

Police also confiscated 16 branches of the Olayan trees and a chainsaw from Roy Pongaotan, 20, of Carmen, Danao City; Jeffrey Barbieros, 26 of Valladolid, Carcar City; Christopher Aleonar, 30 of Poblacion II, Carcar City and Jonathan Barbieros, 22, also of Valladolid.

A day earlier Carcar policemen PO3 Jeoville Bacarias, PO2 Nelson Gascon and PO1 Gelmer Noval also seized a cargo truck with sand and gravel after a complaint by Can-asujan barangay captain Lito Castañares.

The truck, allegedly owned by couple Noel and Sandra Estillore, was loaded with 18 sacks of sand and gravel allegedly illegally extracted from a river in sitio Langub, barangay Can-asujan.

In Borbon town, Bantay Dagat Members Marcelino Cuizon and Eugene Dosdos confiscated the banca of a certain Timson Caballero whom they found fishing in a marine sanctuary.

They were on patrol in the waters off barangay Tabunan when they saw Caballero fishing with fine mesh nets. 

Caballero escaped, leaving his banca and catch behind. – Ferliza C. Contratista/BRP(THE FREEMAN)