Dumagats call for relief of environment officials

MALOLOS CITY, Philippines – Dumagat tribesmen in the province called for the relief of local environment officials that may be involved in a multi-million peso reforestation scam.

The scam involves cutting of thousands of trees that are less than 10 years old inside the 6,600-hectare Ipo Dam Watershed in Norzagaray town, only to be reforested by planting new seedlings utilizing local tribesmen.

Reforestation of hundreds of hectares of forest land is usually awarded to local contractors, but at least two contractors said they were used as ‘dummies’ by local environmental officials.

Local tribesmen were utilized by contractors to plant seedlings, but they said they were shortchanged by officials of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO).

Leonardo Samson, a Dumagat tribesman living in Barangay Ipo, Norzagaray town, said they completed the reforestation, but their salaries were delayed for about six months until the Sangguniang Panglalawigan started an investigation last month.

He said the project is worth at least P12 million and they were contracted to replant trees for only P10,000 per hectare, and yet, their payment has been delayed.

The same was echoed by Mario Cruz and Baldomero Diesta who said that CENRO officials harassed them after they testified against them at the Sangguniang Panglalawigan.

They said that local environment officials must be replaced for the improvement of reforestation efforts in the province.

During the investigation, the Sangguniang Panglalawigan learned that the reforestation program is anchored in the ‘deliberate’ deforestation of watersheds.

“Deforestation and reforestation are two sides of one coin. May pera sa deforestation at sa reforestation. Iyan ang vicious cycle of corruption,” said Vice Governor Willy Alvarado.

He said that based on the investigation of the Sangguniang Pangalalawigan, they discovered that “pag lumaki-laki ang itinanim na puno, muli itong papalitan ng bago.”

For his part, Jose Muñoz, a former driver of Forester Rudy Abrazaldo said in his sworn affidavit that he was used by Abrazaldo as a “dummy contractor.”

He said that he was made to open a bank account where at least P1.2 million was deposited while the passbook was kept by Abrazaldo.

Muñoz said that when he withdrew the money, Abrazaldo was with him, and later took all the money.

The said money is allegedly for the reforestation program of the government.

As this developed, local environment officials keep mum on the issue after repeated attempts of this writer to get their side.