Two men were arrested Sunday afternoon, 28 June, after they were allegedly caught illegally cutting trees in Barangay Dallao, Cordon, Isabela.

Police identified the suspects only by their aliases “Bong,” 50, a farmer from Purok 5, Barangay Dallao, Cordon, and “Omay,” 29, a farmer from Barangay Tungngod, Lagawe, Ifugao.

According to the Isabela Police Provincial Office, operatives from the Cordon Municipal Police Station responded to a report from a concerned citizen about two men cutting and sawing trees in Purok 6, Barangay Dallao at around 2:10 p.m.

Upon arrival, the responding officers allegedly caught the suspects actively sawing logs using a chainsaw.

Authorities said the two failed to present permits authorizing the cutting of trees and the possession of the chainsaw, prompting their arrest for alleged violations of Presidential Decree No. 705, or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines, and Republic Act No. 9175, or the Chainsaw Act of 2002.

Seized during the operation were five round logs and four flitches of Gmelina lumber with an estimated volume of 200 board feet valued at approximately ₱11,000, along with an unregistered Stihl chainsaw worth around ₱3,000.

The suspects and the confiscated items were brought to the Cordon Municipal Police Station for documentation and the filing of appropriate charges.

Police also coordinated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in San Isidro for the inventory and measurement of the seized forest products as part of the investigation.