INFANTA–Two people are facing charges after they were caught in the act of illegally cutting 118 mangrove trees in Barangay Batang here for charcoal production.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) based in western Pangasinan is set to file a case for violation of PD 705 against Gregorio Lampitoc and Venerando Siano.

The two will also be charged by the police for violation of the Fisheries Code because they allegedly removed the trees also to pave the way for the construction of fishponds.

Celso Salazar, community environment and natural resources officer of DENR in Alaminos district 1, told The PUNCH Tuesday in a phone interview that the cut mangrove trees, estimated to be about 15 to30 years old planted and covering a 3,000 square-meter area within a foreshore land, were worth about P700,000.

DENR employees and the police, assisted by barangay officials and other concerned members of the community, apprehended the suspects while they were actually cutting down some of the trees and making more charcoal on top of the 50 sacks found in their possession.

Salazar explained that mangrove trees are important components of the environment as these serve as breeding ground for fish, absorb waste, and stand as natural defense against tsunamis.

He added that the arrests should serve as a wake up call to everyone against the indiscriminate cutting of trees. #

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