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DENR finds abandoned Narra along SCTEX

CAPAS, Tarlac — More than 3,000 board feet of premium Narra flitches worth over P290,000 were literally found along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) by operatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

According to personnel of the DENR-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), they responded to a report of a vehicular accident along the Concepcion and Luisita toll gates of SCTEX in Barangay Tinang in Concepcion, involving a truck loaded with Narra flitches.

Alfredo Nepacena, chief of Monitoring and Enforcement Section of CENRO Capas, said they initially had a hard time locating the vehicle, and sought the assistance of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Concepcion town.

Upon locating the accident site, the operatives found the damaged vehicle already abandoned, and only the Narra flitches and bunches of banana fruits were left scattered along the expressway causing a slight traffic congestion.

Nepacena said the forest products were presumed illegally sourced, since there were no legal documents accompanying the shipment.

According to some nearby residents, the driver and his assistant were allegedly picked up by unidentified persons riding an SUV, who were then assumed to be escorting the Narra shipment.

The seized lumber products and conveyance truck are now impounded at CENRO Capas and will undergo administrative adjudication proceedings to determine who are liable for violation of Presidential Decree No. 705 or the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines.

Narra is a critically endangered species and collection and trading is prohibited under DENR Administrative Order 2007-01 or Establishing the List of Threatened Philippine National Plants and Their Categories, and the List of other Wildlife Species, unless it is covered by a permit from DENR.

DENR records show that over 294,687 board feet of illegal lumber worth P16 million have been apprehended in the region since 2020.

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