POSSESSION of contraband logs worth over more P9 million got into hot water a former mayor of Rodriguez town in Rizal province and his municipal engineer.

Ex-mayor Pedro Cuerpo and engineer Aristotle Cruz were slapped with violations of environmental laws, the Forestry Reform Code and Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines for the illegal possession of forest products worth more than P9 million.

The case stemmed from the complaint filed by the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) in Rodriguez in October 2005.

The Cenro said that in June 2005, it issued a memorandum informing the officer-in-charge of Montalban Multi-Purpose Center and team leader of Patrol Sector No. 1 about illegally cut timber products stockpiled inside a slaughterhouse in Barangay San Jose.

After surveillance, they secured a search warrant from San Mateo Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Elizabeth Balquin-Reyes.

The Cenro found out during the search warrant that Aristotle Cruz took possession of 4,066 pieces of freshly cut timber (of tanguile and lauan) with a volume of 28,050 board feet.

Cruz admitted that these brought down from the mountainous area in Barangay Rodriguez and delivered to the motor pool, where he was the officer-in-charge.

Cenro was not able to haul the timber flitches as then-mayor Cuerpo intervened.

Aside from the timber flitches, Cenro also confiscated several tools— band saw, cutter plainer, electric motor, compressor and drill press used in manufacturing school armchairs without the permit, license or legal documents from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.