DENR lauds NBI crackdown on illegal chainsaw trade in Oriental Mindoro

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) commended the National Bureau of Investigation in Mimaropa for its successful operation against the illegal sale of chainsaws in Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro.

DENR said it was a critical step in protecting the region’s forests and strengthening the country’s climate resilience.

“We thank the NBI for standing with us. Protecting our forests is not just an environmental duty — it is a climate and public safety imperative,” Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said.

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Cuna emphasized that illegal sales of chainsaws fuel forest loss, which in turn worsens flooding, landslides, and climate-driven disasters.

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The Chainsaw Act of 2002, he pointed out, regulates the ownership, sale, importation, distribution, and use of chainsaws to prevent their misuse in illegal logging.

“We will continue working with law enforcement agencies to ensure that illegal chainsaws do not enter our forests. The law is clear — and we will enforce it,” Secretary Cuna said.

Test-buy before raid

The operation, carried out on June 9, supports the DENR’s intensified campaign against illegal logging and complements the ongoing initiatives of the MIMAROPA regional executive director of the DENR, Felix Mirasol, who has been pushing for stronger multi-agency coordination to curb forest degradation in the region.

The NBI carried out the operation based on intelligence reports of unauthorized chainsaw distribution linked to illegal logging activities.

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So it implemented a search warrant at Kimala Trading Corp. on A. Mabini Boulevard, Poblacion, Zone II, Pinamalayan.

The NBI seized three high-powered chainsaws from the store and arrested its operators, Matt Jefferson Go and Miriam Go.

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Before the raid, agents had already conducted a test-buy, successfully purchasing a PowerHouse Built Tough 58CC gasoline chainsaw that was being sold commercially without authorization.

The search-and-seizure operation was witnessed by barangay officials and fully documented using alternative recording devices allowed by Supreme Court guidelines.

The crackdown followed an investigation launched in April 2026 targeting unregistered chainsaw sales to walk-in buyers — transactions often linked to illegal logging in Mimaropa protected areas.

A verification certificate issued by Mirasol through Amor D. Asi of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office confirmed that Kimala Trading Corp. had no permit or authority to trade, sell, distribute, or possess chainsaws.

Only one licensed chainsaw dealer is authorized to operate in the southern part of Oriental Mindoro.

The respondents were processed at the NBI-MIMAROPA Regional Office and recommended for inquest before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors found reasonable certainty of conviction for violation of the Chainsaw Act of 2002. Both respondents posted ₱108,000.00 bail each.

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If convicted, they face imprisonment, fines, and forfeiture of the seized chainsaws to the government. /atm