Camp Col. Rafael C. Rodriguez, Butuan City — July 30, 2025 —
The Police Regional Office (PRO) 13 has ramped up its campaign against illegal logging, arresting two individuals and confiscating more than 4,400 board feet of undocumented lumber valued at ₱88,818 during a weeklong operation across the Caraga region.
From July 21 to 27, law enforcement personnel launched separate operations that led to significant seizures of illegally sawn timber and charges against offenders in Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.
On July 22, acting on intelligence reports, operatives from the Bacuag Municipal Police Station apprehended a 50-year-old suspect, identified only by the alias “Nica,” along the national highway in Sitio Kinabutan, Barangay Poblacion, Bacuag, Surigao del Norte.
That same day, Alegria police arrested another suspect, alias “Erwin,” 34, in Barangay Julio Ouano, Alegria, Surigao del Norte. Authorities found both individuals in possession of a total of 4,022 board feet of illegally sawn coco lumber, with an estimated value of ₱78,396.00.
Charges for violation of Republic Act No. 10593 — which regulates the cutting and replenishment of coconut trees and provides penalties for illegal activities — have been filed against the two suspects.
In a separate operation on July 24, the 1302nd Mobile Force Company under the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 13 recovered 386 board feet of abandoned Lauan lumber worth ₱10,422.00 in Purok 5, Barangay Puyat, Carmen, Surigao del Sur.
PRO 13 reiterated its commitment to protecting the region’s forest resources and warned that illegal loggers will be held accountable. Authorities have turned over the confiscated lumber to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for proper disposition.