Charges for violation of PD 705, or the Forestry Code of the Philippines, were filed yesterday against Brgy. Capt. Leandro de la Torre by Task Force Ilahas for the recovery of 628 board feet of regulated species of narra from his backyard in Brgy. Pandanon Silos, Murcia.

SPO1 Stanley Mendoza of the Task Force Ilahas said the complaint is now with the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Negros Occidental.

De la Torre has denied reports that the narra lumber found in his backyard was for sale.

He said it was donated to the barangay by its owner whom he identified as Saturnina Alba. He said Alba had requested the barangay to cut the tree since it posed an obstruction to the road widening project in Sitio Binitinan.

De la Torre was released from the Murcia police jail on April 3 after posting bail of P30,000, almost five days before charges were filed against him yesterday.

Charges of frustrated murder, illegal possession of firearms and violation of Comelec gun ban had also been filed against him in previous months, in connection with the injuries caused to Mary Ann Marañon in October last year.

De la Torre dismissed as plain harassments the raid conducted at his residence, and being linked him to the injury of Marañon, a day before the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections last year.

Three months after, his house in Brgy. Pandanon Silos, Murcia was razed to the ground, and he claimed that it had been intentionally burned by unidentified suspects.

De la Torre said he is ready to face all the accusations against him, adding that his conscience is clear.*GPB

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