Cop in hot water for allowing ‘hot lumber’ flee in his post

BALER, Aurora, May 6, 2011-A policeman from Dingalan town is in hot water for allegedly allowing a jeep loaded with contraband lumber escape from a provincial government-manned checkpoint here two weeks ago.

PO3 Ricardo Cariǹo of the Dingalan police is facing dismissal from the service for the near-escape of 1,488.9 board feet of illegally cut yakal and lawaan lumber loaded in an Isuzu XLT jeep intercepted by the Army and the Noble Blue Falcons International in Barangay Tanauan, Dingalan town.

The contraband lumber, worth P147,908  were seized by the Army and NBFI operatives comprising the provincial task force “Sagip Kalikasan” against illegal logging, shortly after sneaking through the task force checkpoint at Barangay Caragsacan. The team was led by Army Captain Noel Wamil, commanding officer of the 56^th Infantry Battalion’s Charlie Company and Ericson C. Dayson of the NBFI.

Professor Leonardo Usita, NBFI national president, said that the successful operation could be attributed to the intelligence information provided the task force by an advance reconnaissance team who cleared the area for the holding of a mountain trek by foreign and local mountaineers.

During a meeting of the task force at the Capitol here Thursday, Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo deplored the continued absence of policemen manning the checkpoint which triggered incidents, such as the near-escape of the contraband lumber.

Cristopher Usita of the NBFI said the police were actually there during the operation but Carino reportedly told the task force members to just let the jeep pass, claiming the vehicle only contained coconuts.

Suspicious, the Army and the NBFI gave chase and caught up with the driver of the jeep in Tanauan.

Angara-Castillo described the incident as shameful because it depicted the police as coddling illegal loggers. “It’s downright embarassing isn’t it?” she asked. She directed Inspector Erwin Fabroquez, Dingalan police chief, to have Carino dismissed.

Angara-Castillo told policemen not to be cowed by illegal loggers. She promised to reward policemen for good performance by even having them promoted.

The governor also directed Raul Batang, community officer of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in southern Aurora covering Dingalan and San Luis towns not to spare anyone in the anti-illegal logging campaign.

“Show them there are no sacred cows. Whether they are local officials or not, if they are involved, we’ll throw the hook at them,” she said. (Jason de Asis)