In Filing charges against DPWH personnel Capitol challenges environmentalists

CEBU, Philippines - The Capitol is challenging so-called environmentalist groups to join them in filing the case against those responsible for illegally cutting trees along the national road in some southern towns of the Province of Cebu.

Both the Capitol and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – 7 will be filing separate criminal and administrative charges against the officials and personnel of the 4th District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for indiscriminately cutting trees in Badian town and in its adjacent municipalities.

Capitol consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda asked if the cutting of trees has no effect to those who claimed to be environmentalists who are strongly opposing the dumping of coal ash from Kepco-SPC Power Corporation to the province-owned lot (Balili property) in Barangay Tinaan, Naga City.

“Kana ra g’yung uling sa Balili maoy makapahimo nilang environmentalist?” said Sepulveda.

For his part, Provincial Attorney Marino Martinquilla believes that environmentalists may have not noticed the indiscriminate cutting of trees in southern towns because these are already far from Naga City.

“Angay mi magkauban ani,” Sepulveda added.

DPWH officials reportedly told Governor Gwendolyn Garcia that they were just pruning the trees that have posed hazards but the governor was in a rage when she saw the photos captured by the Capitol personnel.

Photographs showed logs, branches and stumps of Dol-dol, Coco, Mahogany, Magtalisay, Anyelan, Tamarind, Star Apple, and Dita along the highway of barangays Banhigan, Poblacion, Malhiao and Manduyong, all in Badian town.

Showing the photographs, a DENR-7 official said that DPWH personnel have violated Presidential Decree No. 953 signed by then President Ferdinand Marcos on July 6, 1976 which requires the planting of trees in certain places and penalizing the unauthorized cutting, destruction, damaging and injuring of certain trees, plants and vegetation.

Both the Capitol and DENR are still conducting further investigation and inventory of those trees in order to come up with the exact number of trees that were damaged.

This will also be documented to support the filing of the case against the perpetrators.

Sepulveda said that the governor who is out of the country is taking the matter as very serious offense not only against her but against the environment. — (FREEMAN)