Panel formed to probe 189 missing logs in Butuan City

BUTUAN CITY — The regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has formed a panel to investigate the disappearance of 189 confiscated round logs at its impounding site here.

Acting on orders of regional DENR director Benjamin Tumaliuan, Agusan del Norte environment and natural resources officer Ermilio de los Santos designated five DENR personnel to probe at least seven personnel guarding the log pond in Barangay Mahogany.

De los Santos gave the panel three days to submit its report.

Rodrigo Ypanto, on-duty guard, claimed that at least four men brandishing high-powered firearms took the 189 round logs from the former Pacwood log pond at about 3 a.m. last Monday.

However, due to lack of communications, Ypanto was able to report the incident only four hours later to forester Sammy Cabaday of the Natural Resources Development Corp. (NRDC).

The NRDC is an arm of the DENR responsible for the safekeeping of confiscated illegal logs.

Cabaday, in turn, reportedly informed forester Claro Licayan, team leader of the forest products monitoring station in Barangay Tungao here, about the missing 189 round logs.

The 189 logs, according to investigation, originated from Salog, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur. They were being towed along the Agusan River for sale to wood factories in this city when they were apprehended last Thursday for lack of proper documents.

De los Santos said the logs, of lawaan and other wood species, could be worth P100,000 based on the market price of about P1,000 per cubic meter.

Tumaliuan said somebody has to answer for the mess, warning that "heads will definitely roll."

Tumaliuan said 67 of the 189 round logs were later found covered by water lilies in the Agusan River.