No less than Board Member Dionisio Balite is raising a howl over reports that acasia trees were mowed down in Sikatuna town in glaring violation of the prohibition on the cutting of endangered species. Acting on Balite’s protestation, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Friday sought to conduct an investigation into the alleged illegal tree-cutting in Sikatuna town following the privilege speech of the gentleman from Valencia. The alleged illicit cutting of acacia species took place in barangay Cambuac Norte, Sikatuna town and reportedly loaded them in a military truck and headed to Dauis town. While in barangay Biking, Dauis town, the sawn logs of acasia trees found in the compound of former mayor Victor Bolos. Subsequent investigation by the Dauis police showed that the logs “mysteriously” appeared infront of the compound prompting lawmen to initiate seizure proceedings. What triggered a furor over the “hot logs” was the alleged use of a military truck in transporting the logs from its place of origin to its final destination.

The indiscriminate cutting did not escape the vigilant eyes of the provincial board when Balite wasted no time to bring it to the attention to his colleagues in a privilege speech last Friday during its regular session. The beneficiary of the lumber flitches out was reported to bed the former Dauis mayor who until press time to keep mum about his role of the log transport. Some 20 pieces of sawn lumber were reportedly surrendered to Dauis police station following the separate probe by law enforcers. “Where there is smoke, there is fire,” Balite cited this saying in an apparent reference to the acacia cutting that “had been dominating the Boholano airlanes for almost two-weeks,” he said. He, in concluding his speech, immediately called for an investigation to ferret out the truth and bring the culprits to justice. His motion for a probe on the tree-cutting got the support of his colleagues following Vice-Gov. Concepcion Lim banged the gavel to refer the same to the Committee of A Whole to start the inquiry.

Based on what he learned from news reports, Balite said that it appeared that there was “blatant” violations on rules/regulations of the DENR and the absence of a permit to cut trees and neither permit to transport the cut trees in lumber form. He suspects that there seems to be a “scheme to cover-up such an illegal activity” as some authorities refused to be interviewed. Balite asked on “whose authority was the acacia tree cut and sawed and under whose imprimatur in using a military truck delivering the lumber and did it involve public officials”. Sikatuna Mayor Jose Ellorimo, said in an interview, that he was not really aware of this tree cutting incident because he was busy preparing for the HEAT caravan held in his town last week. He said that his policy is clear. He bans the cutting of this kind of species and other endemic species abundant in his town. His town is now maintaining what it called a tree park, now becoming a model for eco-tourism in this part of the province.