TACLOBAN CITY – Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Mike Defensor has recently ordered for the immediate relief of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) of Maasin City.

Maasin City CENRO Elpedio Simon was relieved for issuing a permit to transport 2, 000 board feet of lumber taken from a Private Land Timber Permit (PLTP) in spite of the order of the DENR secretary to temporarily suspend all over the country the issuance of permits fro the transport of lumber as well as the declaration of total log ban including from private lands after the tragedy occurred in Quezon and Aurora that claimed a thousand lives.

DENR Regional Executive Director Leonardo Sibbaluca in a phone interview told Leyte Samar Daily Express that the relief order of Simon was based on special order dated January 19, 2005 and signed by Secretary Defensor. He added that an investigation on the case is being conducted by the legal division of the DENR regional office her.

Simon was replaced by Arnulfo Arbiol, then superintendent representative of Lake Danao in Ormoc, in a simple turnover ceremony held the other day. Simon was placed on floating status at the DENR while undergoing investigation.

Sibbaluca said that investigators would like to know if Simon’s claim that he just received Defensor’s Memorandum on the suspension of permit issuances in the afternoon of Dec. 16 was true.

‘Pero titingnan pa natin doon sa petsa nang pumirma siya at petso noong matanggap n’ya ang memorandum ni Secretary Defensor.

He said that he was informed that all regional executive directors down to the regional technical directors, PENROs and CENROs all over the country would possibly be affected by this reshuffling.