2 Army officers face illegal logging charges

TACLOBAN CITY — Charges of illegal logging have been filed against the former commanding officer of the Army’s 43rd Infantry Battalion based in Sogod, Southern Leyte, and his liaison officer, with the city prosecutor’s office.

Community environment and natural resources office (CENRO) head Elpidio Simon said the respondents, Army Col. Norberto Alindayu and T/Sgt. Juan Cavarrubias, were charged with alleged violation of Presidential Decree 705, or the Anti-Illegal Logging Law.

Alindayu headed the 43rd IB based in Barangay Hibod-hibod, Sogod town when Cavarrubias, his liaison officer, was intercepted by Simon’s special team about to deliver semi-finished narra products to Metro Manila at the Philtranco bus terminal here last July.

Alindayu has since been reassigned as commanding officer of the 63rd IB based in Barangay Opong in Catubig, Northern Samar. Cavarrubias, for his part, is on "floating status" at the 8th Infantry Division in Catbalogan, Samar.

Cavarrubias reportedly tagged Alindayu as the alleged owner of the 23 boxes of narra products. He failed to present appropriate documents to ferry such items when apprehended by a joint CENRO-police team.

Simon said Alindayu did not deny owning the forest products and even showed documents which, after careful evaluation, were found to be insufficient, as required by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. — Miriam Garcia Desacada