PHL anti-illegal logging czar claims total log ban declaration untimely,ill-advised  

by Ben Serrano

January 15, 2011

 

            BUTUAN CITY (PNA) - The head of the government’s anti-illegal logging and illegal mining task force today claimed that President Aquino was ill-advised in his plans to issue total log ban in six provinces in the country which includes Caraga region on Monday.


              " Declaring total log ban without offering immediate source of livelihood now is very untimely especially when prices of basic goods, cost of living and petroleum prices thus transportation fares are increasing,gradual log ban maybe appropriate" says Task Force head. 

 

            During his first official visit here Friday, President Aquino announced he is planning to issue moratorium through an executive order on all logging activities or total log ban in six provinces including Caraga region if not in the entire country.

 

            “If only the President will only personally see for himself how poor most tree farmers are thus they ended up victims of this mafia-like illegal logging and illegal mining activities perpetuated by those in power and authority in cahoots with corrupt DENR officials and their wealthy businessmen and wood traders’ friends. The President will be thinking twice before even signing total log ban order” says DENR’s Manila-based Task Force Pagbabago Commander former Philippine Marines Commandant retired Major Gen. Renato Miranda.

 

            Miranda admitted he is hurt inside whenever he sees poor tree farmers who cut tree forests for a living being victimized by callousness and greediness of wealthy wood traders corrupting people in power and authority at the expense of the destruction of mother nature.

 

            He said middlemen sent by wealthy traders in logging areas in Caraga region and in hinterland areas in Gingoog City where illegal logging activities were rampant do not only exploit to the max poor local log cutters but also abused the poor wood cutters and haulers by buying cut wood products at very, very cheap price.

 

            “Halos hngiin na lang yung illegaly cut logs dahil masyado mura ang bili mula sa naghihirap na dating tree farmers. At dahil baon sa utang sa ka cash advance sa mga illegal logging financers para ibili ng bigas, canned goods for food consumptions while cutting forest trees, they ended up in debts all their lives dahil sa gastos ng pagkain pa lang ubos na ang kita mula sa pamumutol ng kahoy” Miranda told selected newsmen in an interview.

 

            Miranda admitted that in his nearly five months of surveillance works of the insides and outs of illegal logging and illegal mining activities in Caraga region, he discovered the ones who only benefitted in said nefarious doings were the middlemen who deal with tree farmers or wood cutters, traders, alleged corrupt DENR and law enforcers which includes highway and LTO patrol groups.

 

            “Unless these corrupt government personnel are punished therefore must be stop totally in their money making activities and sustaining livelihood as alternative of illegal logging and mining be put in place, government cannot stop illegal logging and mining since these were the only source of livelihood of many people in Caraga region” Miranda added.

 

            Miranda added that what is needed is comprehensive and strict implementation of environmental laws “meaning DENR must be transparent, pro-active in implementing existing forest and environmental laws while looking for alternative livelihood for the people.

 

            Miranda claimed illegal logging and mining has been with Caraga region for many years or even decades and many anti-illegal logging and mining campaign had passed but still the vicious cycle in forest denudation or deforestation kept coming back again and again.

 

            “In fact illegal logging and illegal mining is a multi-million if not billion peso industry without single centavo going to cash strapped PHL coffers. Illegal logging and mining already made millionaires if not billionaires who later became politicians elected as Barangay Captains and Mayors courtesy of countless trees cut in already fastly denuding Caraga’s forest”

 

            Total log ban that easy and fast without providing immediate livelihood will hunger many tree farmers and their immediate families and dependents.

 

            “Let us all put our house in order first, let us first offer alternative livelihood the soonest. Confiscating and confiscating illegally cut logs on daily basis will not help solved, what we needed is preventing people right in the forest to cut forest trees”. Miranda added.

 

            Miranda admitted the task force alone can’t help solved the unabated animosities of forest destruction scheme unless people can see heads will roll at concerned government agencies who are supposed to protect environment.

 

            DENR Caraga regional director Leonardo Sebaluca in a mobile phone interview told PNA that  any investigation and lifestyle check to all key DENR officials in the region are most welcomed. (PNA/Ben Serrano)




(Disclamer)

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