Ocon snubs hearing on ‘hot’ wood in Gingoog

By EDWIN IYO
Correspondent

COUNCILOR Zaldy Ocon was a no-show yesterday in the meeting called by the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) in Gingoog City to deliberate on his participation in the attempt to move over 700 board feet of protected hardwood species from Surigao del Sur to Cagayan de Oro last month.

Rey Fernandez, the Cenro of Gingoog City, said Ocon was asked to come so he could shed light on the matter. “We sent him a communication through JRS Express this Sept. 2 but he did not come,” Fernandez said.

He said yesterday’s deliberation was a step mandated under Presidential Decree 705 before environment officials could decide whether or not to press charges against those suspected to have violated environmental laws.

Fernandez said he deicided to call for another meeting on Sept. 14 to give Ocon a last chance to shed light on the matter. Authorities seized 711 board feet of lauan and magcono following an accident involving Ocon’s Toyota Hi-Lux pick-up truck on a highway in Medina town in Aug. 28.

Meanwhile, Gingoog Councilor Robert de Lara called on authorities to immediately press charges against Ocon after the Cagayan de Oro councilor admitted that the confiscated hardwood were his.

Ocon, the chairman of the Cagayan de Oro city council’s environment committee, earlier said he bought the protected hardwood for P29 thousand. He said the lumbers were for a house he was constructing in Cugman, Cagayan de Oro.

De Lara, president of Gingoog’s Liga ng mga Barangay, said Ocon should be held liable of violation of Section 77 of PD 705 as amended by RA 7161.

De Lara also pointed out that President Aquino issued Executive Order no.23 that set a logging ban in this part of the country. “Angay naman ma-file ang kaso batok ni Ocon kay basin kun dili ma-file himoon unya nga basehanan sa tanan illegal activities dinhi sa lalawigan,” he said.