TUGUEGARAO CITY: The Philippine National Police (PNP) has turned over seized and recovered forest products to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Cagayan Valley (Region 2). PNP chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan handed a report to DENR Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan during his command visit to Police Regional Office 2 on Wednesday. The forest products with a total volume of 57,078.68 board feet and an estimated value of P2,244,033.47 were confiscated and recovered by the PNP in several operations. These were placed under the custody of police stations in the region. Bambalan, in a statement, thanked the PNP for heeding her request that forest products and conveyances apprehended by the police be properly turned over to the DENR.Earlier, police regional chief BGen. Crizaldo Nieves committed the full support of uniformed personnel in heightened enforcement of forestry and other environmental laws. The PNP is a member of the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force mandated to take the lead in the anti-illegal logging campaign and to assist the DENR in the enforcement of other environmental laws created by Executive Order 23. During the command visit, a memorandum of agreement for the Police Regional Office Real Estate Program was also signed between the PNP and the DENR. The agreement contains details on provision of assistance by the DENR in the identification and acquisition of alienable and disposable lots suitable for the establishment of PNP camps, housing projects, training facilities and greening projects. As stated in the agreement, the collaboration of the two agencies is necessary for public safety in the community and for the conservation of environment and natural resources.
