Ombudsman, DENR team resurvey Balili lot

CEBU, Philippines - A joint team of the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources yesterday started the relocation and reconnaissance surveys of the controversial Balili property that the provincial government bought in Tinaan, Naga.

The team, led by Assistant Ombudsman for the Visayas Virginia Palanca Santiago, confirmed the presence of the fishpond, mangroves and the seawater on the property but could not yet determine how big the submerged area is.

Santiago said the DENR technical personnel who are conducting the surveys have asked for three to five days to finish the actual measurement.

According to Santiago, it would take time to conduct the survey because the property is very big.

Asked of her personal observation of the area whether the claims of private surveyor Fortunato Lazaro that its 80 percent of the entire property is submerged and that only 20 percent is dry land, Santiago refused to make a statement saying she does not want to be accused of pre-judging the case.

Although she said only a small portion in the Balili resort is dry land, but it is not enough basis to conclude because the area is very big and the DENR is yet to come up with a report.

Santiago said it is only the DENR report that will determine whether the allegations that more than 9.4 hectares of the property bought by the province from the Balili estate is submerged are true.

A source, who was with the team, however told The Freeman that based on his personal observation majority of the area is actually submerged. The source however requested anonymity.

The team also found out that a volume of coal ash from the Korean Power Plant has already been dumped in the fishpond.

Capitol signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the KEPCO for the use of their Balili property as dumping site of the coal ash.

A separate investigation is also being conducted by the anti-graft office over the dumping of the coal ash because of the complaints filed by the environmental lawyers. The joint team went to the Balili property yesterday as part of the fact-finding investigation conducted by the anti-graft office.

The team was first denied entry by the Capitol hired guards manning the area allegedly upon the instructions of provincial administrator Eduardo Habin.

Despite the members of the team identifying themselves as officials from the Ombudsman and the DENR who will conduct the survey, they were not immediately allowed entry by the guards until provincial treasurer Roy Salubre gave the instruction to them over the phone. — Fred P. Languido, Niña Sumacot/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)