CEBU, Philippines - The lack of storage facilities and the failure of the officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to immediately dispose the confiscated forest and mineral products resulted to the wastage of millions of pesos worth of supposed government revenues.
Confiscated forest products such as calcite minerals with an appraised value of P1,059,070 were already deteriorated because they are just stored in an uncovered place since the time they were seized by the authorities exposing them to natural elements.
An ocular inspection conducted by the personnel of the Commission on Audit together with the DENR representatives showed that the calcite minerals were just placed inside the Aznar Compound along Juan Luna Avenue in Barangay Mabolo after they were seized. The minerals were stockpiled in an open area without adequate protection practically exposing them to hazardous elements.
Calcite is the mineral that shows the most various types of crystal. It is the main ingredient of limestone rocks. It is also the mineral that builds up stalagmites in caves.
State auditors also learned from the financial transactions of the six Community Environmental and Natural Resources Offices (CENROs) in Central Visayas that another volume of seized forest products worth P4,802,144 were just sold at P741,787 during a public bidding last November 6, 2008.
The forest products were seized by the elements of CENRO in Tagbilaran City in Bohol, Argao, Cebu City and Carmen in Cebu, Dumaguete City and Ayungon in Negros Oriental.
COA explained that the estimated value of the confiscated forest products was computed based on the market value per board foot at the time of apprehension, while the sale value was based on the highest bidded amount.
“The economic value of the seized forest products decreased due to the long period of time, one to nine years, before these were donated to the Natural Resources Development Corporation for disposal,” COA said.
According to the state auditors, the failure of the concerned DENR offices to implement the directive of the DENR Secretary to turn over the confiscated forest products to NRDC for disposal contributed to the decline of the economic value of the products.
The Government Accounting and Auditing Code provides that the head of the agency or instrumentality of the government shall exercise the diligence of a good father of a family in supervising accountable officers under his control to prevent the incurrence of loss of government funds and property.
Such law also provides that said government head of office shall be jointly and solidarily liable with the person primarily accountable for the losses, damage or deterioration occasioned by negligence in keeping the property whether or not it is at the time in his actual custody. — Rene U. Borromeo/WAB (FREEMAN NEWS)