Ni NOEL ABUEL
Tulad ng inaasahan ay ginisa ng mga senador ang Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) dahil sa pagpapabaya sa tungkulin na bantayan ang mga idineklarang protected areas sa bansa.
Sa pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, sinabi ni Senador Cynthia Villar chairman ng komite, na napatunayang ang DENR officals ang may pananagutan kung bakit naitayo ang Captains Peak resort sa loob ng Chocolate Hills Natural Monument sa Bohol at sa Mt. Apo Natural Park sa North Cotabato, Davao del Sur at Davao City.
Giit ni Villar, ginamit ng DENR ang mga barangay chairman para mabigyan ng requirements ang may-ari ng Captains Peak resort sa loob ng Chocolate Hills kahit wala itong pinanghahawakang Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Partikular na binatikos ni Villar, ang Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) na naglabas ng clearance na pinirmahan ni dating Central Visayas Director Gilbert Gonzales at si Paquito Melicor na naglabas naman ng ECC para sa nasabing resort.
Giit ni Villar, ang regional DENR office nito ang dapat na managot sa pagpapabaya sa tungkulin.
Aniya, ang DENR, bilang miyembro ng Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), ay may pananagutan sa pagbalangkas ng agenda ng mga pagpupulong na kalaunan ay humantong sa pag-apruba sa pagtatayo ng mga istruktura sa paligid ng Chocolate Hills.
“While the Philippine government has established a robust framework of policies, laws and regulations for the protection of our protected areas, there appears to be a deficiency in their implementation. Therefore, there is a need for greater efforts from those responsible to protect them, as well as from all of us Filipinos, to safeguard our protected areas,” ayon kay Villar.
Inamin ni Gonzales na ito ang dating Regional Executive Director ng Region 7 nang ilabas ang PAMB Resolution No. 1 noong Pebrero 15, 2018.
“But I’d like to explain first ma’am that this was submitted to PAMB, this was the time when there was Presidential Proclamation 333 which declared that the flatlands of the Chocolate Hills are considered to be multiple use zones and being alienable and disposable lands,” paliwanag ni Gonzales.
“You cannot reason out that because it is alienable and disposable (land) and it has a title, you can do anything in the protected areas. You have to respect biodiversity conservation,” sagot ni Senate Pro-Tempore Loren Legarda kay Gonzales.
“The DENR must follow the soul and intent of the law… we are really frustrated on how the good law was implemented. You cannot say that the IRR (implementing rules and regulation) was defective, you cannot say that you were absent (during the hearing when the decision to allow the construction was approved), you cannot say that there was a quorum, etc. It is clear that the DENR has the mandate, through the regional executive director, to implement the law, with the sole objective of biodiversity protection and conservation,” dagdag pa ni Legarda.
OnlineBalita news 