TACLOBAN CITY — A 42-year-old carpenter listed as the eighth most wanted person in the municipality of Culaba, Biliran was arrested by police on Wednesday, July 1, on the strength of a warrant for violating the Chainsaw Act of 2002.
The suspect, identified by police as Renan Pelayo, a resident of Barangay Acaban, Culaba, was arrested at around 10 a.m. in his village by a joint team from the Culaba Municipal Police Station, Biliran Police Provincial Office Provincial Intelligence Unit (BPPO-PIU), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Biliran Provincial Field Unit, and the Biliran Provincial Mobile Force Company (BPMFC).
Pelayo was arrested by virtue of a warrant issued on June 17, 2026 by Judge Jerome Cordero Avila of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court serving Caibiran and Culaba, Biliran.
He is facing a charge for violating Section 7 of Republic Act No. 9175, or the Chainsaw Act of 2002, which regulates the ownership, possession, sale, importation and use of chainsaws as part of the government’s efforts to curb illegal logging and protect the country’s forest resources.
The court recommended a bail bond of P36,000 for his temporary release.
Police said Pelayo was informed of the warrant against him and apprised of his constitutional rights in a language he understood.
Following his arrest, he was taken to the Culaba Municipal Police Station for booking and documentation before being turned over to the court that issued the warrant for appropriate legal proceedings.
(ROBERT DEJON)
