Locals, group seek CA help vs Naga school tree cutting

CEBU, Philippines - Residents of the City of Naga and the Movement for a Livable Cebu asked the Court of Appeals in Cebu Station for the issuance of a temporary environmental protection order to stop the cutting of trees within the school premises of Naga City Central School.

Winley dela Fuente, a concerned citizen and president of the City’s Federation of Parents Teachers Associations, together with City Councilor Venci del Mar, Macaraig Canton of MLC and citizens Francis Dejero and Adonis Laborte, personally filed a petition for Writ of Kalikasan before the CA yesterday.

Fuente told the media that filing the said petition aims to stop Naga City Mayor Valdemar Chiong, city environment officer Obdulla Lescano, environment undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio and Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 Director Isabelo Montejo to stop the cutting of trees which is said to pave the way for the implementation of the sports oval project.

The petitioners said the resolution approving the project sports oval and the issuance of environmental clearance certificate are  “tainted with substantive and procedural irregularities and suffers from paucity of purpose” because it lacks of public publication in a newspaper of general publication, of public consultations, of sufficient  environmental risk assessment and of environmental management plan.

Lawyer Rose Osorio of the Foundation for the Philippine Environment told the media that they will be filing a motion for intervention before the CA next week to be included as petitioners of the case.

Still in the same city, DENR-7 referred MLC to the Department of Public Works and Highways to act on MLC’s request to cut trees that pose hazard to commuters in Naga City roadside.

“We will only receive the application for the issuance of a special tree cutting permit if there’s an explicit clearance or endorsement from the DPWH Secretary. It means only the DPWH secretary could vet whether there’s a need to cut or not to cut roadside trees,” DENR-7 spokesperson Eddie Llamedo said. — Jessa J. Agua and Mylen P. Manto/JMD (FREEMAN)