Ocon says he bought lumber; faces probe

By EDWIN IYO
and NITZ ARANCON
Correspondents

GINGOOG City––Environment officials here yesterday said they have summoned Councilor Zaldy Ocon in connection with the seizure of some 711 board feet of protected hardwood species that would have been brought to Cagayan de Oro from Surigao del Sur had it not been for a road accident in Medina town in Misamis Oriental on Friday.

In Cagayan de Oro, Councilor Ocon showed a receipt to show that he bought the hardwood from a furniture store for P29 thousand. He said it was for his house.

Ocon denied any wrongdoing, saying what he did was not illegal. “Wala koy illegal nga gihimo kay ako man gani ang tiglakag sa mga illegal dinhi. Dili illegal ang kahoy nga gikarga sa akong pick-up, pinalit nako to sa furniture (store), ug na-ay resibo,” Ocon said. “Dos por dos ra ug mogbo pa gyud. Unsa-on pagka illegal ana? Ang illegal kadtong tinablon.”

Authorities however said there were 138 lumbers or 711 board feet of protected species of hardwood impounded. Ocon said the hardwood was intended for a house he was building in Barangay Cugman.

Rey Fernandez, environment and natural resources officer, said he has also asked the Medina town police to explain why they released the ill-fated black Toyota Hi-Lux pick-up truck to Ocon hours after the accident on a highway in Purtulin.

Environment officials here said Ocon’s damaged pick-up truck, with license plates KDP-389, was already gone when a team from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) arrived in Medina town. “Kahoy na lang ang naabtan,” said Fernandez.

Fernandez said Ocon and the vehicle’s driver at the time of the accident, Sode Vanson of Davao del Sur, were informed that the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) would deliberate on the case on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

He said Ocon would need to explain why his vehicle was used in transporting 138 lauan and magcono lumbers from Lianga, Surigao del Sur. The hardwood species are protected by the government.

Incidentally, Ocon is the chairman of the Cagayan de Oro city council’s committee on environment and natural resources. Senior Insp. Arnold Sala, Medina police chief for operations, said the accident took place at around 3:44 am on Friday when Vanson lost control of the pick-up truck while avoiding a crossing pedestrian.

The vehicle reportedly overturned and plunged into an open drain, hurting two of Vanson’s passengers identified as Datunus Virgilio of Balulang, Cagayan de Oro, and Pepito de los Reyes of Lianga, Surigao del Sur. The injured were rushed to a hospital. Police said Ocon came at around 6 am, showed documents to prove that he owns the vehicle. He was then allowed to tow the damaged pick-up truck to Cagayan de Oro.

Fernandez said he would personally handle the investigation into the Ocon case. Ocon, for his part, said the seized lumbers were the least of his problems now. He claimed he cried because his pick-up truck was wrecked, and he had to shoulder the hospital bills and cost of medicines of the injured.