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[av_heading heading=’ Capiz mayor faces raps over plaza Indian trees’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENN VIDAL BEUP
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Tuesday, May 16, 2017
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ROXAS City – The mayor of President Roxas, Capiz was accused of violating environmental and anti-graft laws over the cutting of Indian trees at the town’s public plaza without permission from municipal councilors.
Receliste Escolin was facing a complaint for violation of the Act prohibiting the cutting of plants/trees in public areas, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Local Government Code before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas (OMB-V-C-17-0120).
The complainant, former vice mayor Alfonso Golero, also accused Escolin of abuse of authority (OMB-V-A-17-0104).
Escolin allegedly ordered the cutting down of at least 20 Indian trees on Oct. 23 last year.
Planted “20 years ago,” the Indian trees — also known as false ashoka (Polyalthia longifolia) — were part of the “Clean and Green Program” of then mayor Ernesto Sevilla, Golero stated in his complaint.
Their planting was funded by the local government, and “any action taken on [them] requires approval from the Sangguniang Bayan,” said Golero.
Escolin, in his counter-affidavit, said the charges were “politically motivated.”
The mayor said they were intended to “personally harass me, tarnish my good name, and cast doubt on my reputation as a responsible and proactive public servant and local government head.”
Golero said, “RA (Republic Act) 3571, as amended by PD (Presidential Decree) 953, allows the cutting only upon the approval of the duly authorized representative of the head of the agency or political subdivision having jurisdiction therein.”
In this case, “the Sangguniang Bayan, being the local legislative branch … must approve such action by the local chief executive,” he said.
Escolin was also liable for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act “after persuading, inducing or influencing another public officer to perform an act constituting a violation of rules duly promulgated by competent authority,” Golero added.
Meanwhile Escolin said what Golero was referring to “was actually the pruning or trimming of the [Indian trees] to enhance [their] aesthetic value without causing and resulting to [their] destruction.”
“The trees, plants and shrubs are still there and robustly existing and growing,” Escolin stated in his counter-affidavit.
He also insisted that mayors “have the legal authority to ‘cut, destroy, damage, or injure,’ more so [prune] or [trim] a tree if the same is necessary for public safety or … to enhance beauty.”
Denying any political motivation, Golero — who was vice mayor for three terms and then ran for SB member in May 2016 but lost — said he filed the cases against Escolin on his “own initiative.”
“Former mayor Raymond Locsin has nothing to do with this,” he told this reporter. “It is my duty as a taxpayer and former vice mayor … to take appropriate legal action so the rule of law will prevail.”
Locsin lost to Escolin during the mayoral race in the 2016 elections./PN
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