BACOLOD City – An engineer in Barangay Sum-ag here may face charges for violation of Presidential Decree (PD) 705, as amended by Republic Act 7161, or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines relative to a “development project” in the portion of the Sum-ag River.
The name of the engineer is being withheld by this paper pending this person’s response to the alleged violation.
According to Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya, chief of the Community Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO) in Bago City, Negros Occidental, they were preparing a complaint after finding out that the ongoing development got no permission to cut mangrove trees.
Based on the inspection done by the CENRO recently, several mangrove trees were cut down.
Under the law, the barangay is the complainant to the case and the CENRO will serve as witness, Gerangaya explained.
Rodney Carmona, punong barangay of Sum-ag, said they will file the complaint within the week.
Aside from the cutting of trees, two other issues were diking and reclamation.
Gerangaya said the cutting of mangroves issue is under the jurisdiction of CENRO, while the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Office of the Building Official are the concerned offices for the diking. The reclamation is under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Reclamation Authority.
The CENRO acted after Carmona asked them to look into the ongoing project – a beach resort – at the entrance of Sum-ag River.
“The development there utilized about three hectares of mangrove areas on the adjacent location of Purok Mabinuligon II and part of Purok Punta Balas in Barangay Pahanocoy here,” Gerangaya added./PN
