After 24 hours of detention, controversial Brgy. Capt. Leandro de la Torre posted bail of P30,000 and  was freed from the police jail of Murcia at about  5 p.m. yesterday.

SPO1 Frisco Lobaton, Murcia PNP Desk Officer, said Judge Orlando Ayeng ordered the release of de la Torre who was arrested by Task Force Ilahas on Wednesday, for violation of PD 705, or the Forestry Code of the Philippines, in Brgy.Pandanon Silos, Murcia..

The raid on the residential compound of de la Torre, a barangay captain of Pandanon Silos, Murcia, which was conducted by virtue of a search warrant issued by Ayeng, yielded 628.15 board feet of regulated species of “narra”, in assorted sizes, estimated to have a market value of P125,630, Task Force Ilahas operative SPO1 Stanley Mendoza said.

Police records also showed that de la Torre is also facing charges for frustrated murder, illegal possession of firearms and violation of the Comelec gun ban, in connection with the injury of Mary Ann Marañon in October last year.

Three months after, the house of de la Torre in Brgy. Pandanon Silos, Murcia, was razed to the ground, and he claimed it was intentionally burned by still unidentified suspects.

Mendoza said they expect to file charges for violation of PD 705 against de la Torre today in court.

TFI investigations show that the narra lumber, in assorted sizes, had been cut from Sitio Binitinan, Brgy. Pandanon Silos, Murcia, which is part of an Integrated Social Forestry area and of Northern Negros Natural Park.

Mendoza said their investigations also showed that the narra lumber was due for transport on Tuesday night, to a buyer who had already gave an initial payment of P8,000 to de la Torre.*GPB

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