Isabela's anti-illegal logging task force nets RP's biggest single haul

ILAGAN, Isabela, Philippines – The provincial government’s anti-illegal logging task force seized 300,000 board feet of illegally cut, high-grade lumber worth about P10 million at the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain here the other day.

This is on top of another 120,000 board feet of hot logs earlier confiscated by the task force.

Gov. Grace Padaca said the newly seized lumber consisted of assorted hardwood, mostly red and white lawaan.

She said it is so far the biggest single haul of such contraband in the country in recent times, also exceeding the 40,000 and 80,000 board feet of hot logs seized in Barangays Santa Filomena and Minanga in San Mariano town last Sunday and Monday, respectively.

The latest seizure made in Barangay Naguilian, also in San Mariano, brought to over one million board feet the hot logs confiscated by the task force in less than a week.

Dave Siquian, team leader of the task force which Padaca reactivated in June last year, said concerned villagers tipped them off through text messages about the contraband in Barangay Naguilian, as was the case in previous raids.

Illegal loggers, according to Siquian, could have employed bugadores (lumber haulers) to transport the seized hardwood along the river using floaters from the Sierra Madre, which, despite being a national protected area, has been a haven for illegal logging.

“The sites (where the hot logs were discovered) are relatively secluded and not easy to reach. Thanks to tip-offs from (residents) who noticed the logs being collected,” he said.

The task force, however, failed to arrest any suspects. Sources though said the seized logs belonged to one of the so-called “Big 5” behind the continued illegal cutting of trees here and in neighboring Aurora, especially in the Sierra Madre forest.

The successive operations of the task force followed a recent attack by an armed group on its men who were hauling illegally cut lumber in Barangay Bintacan here, wounding one of them.

“Those behind the attack must be desperate people who are heavily involved in illegal logging, undoubtedly desperate financiers and protectors of illegal loggers,” Padaca said.

“The (attackers) were making a big mistake in thinking that they could scare (me) by their actions,” she added.

Padaca herself has been receiving death threats. “They are only making my campaign against illegal logging more intense. Before, it was already intense, but with this incident, (those behind illegal logging) should expect us to be even more intense,” she said.