Provincial police director Chief Supt. Melvin Buenafe said he is studying a request of Sibulan Mayor Antonio Renacia to put up a police Regional Mobile Group detachment in Brgy. Maningcao, Sibulan, Oriental Negros.

Renacia said he wanted the detachment constructed in Sitios Pamahawan and Panlautan to stop the illegal logging activities allegedly going on in one of the remaining old-growth forests of the province.

The mayor said the request was made after villagers complained of seeing and hearing illegal-tree cutting operations in the Maningcao forest within the Lake Balinsasayao reserve. He said, armed men accompanied the illegal operators.

Renacia said that, based on reports, at least three trucks were hauling the logs and transporting them to undisclosed places by passing through sitios Pamahawan and Panlautan. He said some of the operators used felled trees to make bancas.

Renacia said he has already asked Gov. George Arnaiz to endorse his request to the Philippine National Police.

Buenafe, however, said he will look into the request by sending men into the area to verify the complaints.

But as far as he knew, he said, he had not observed any illegal logging activity in the watershed.*RG

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