CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 has sent two personnel yesterday from Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO)-Cebu City to investigate the alleged illegal cutting down of an old dakit tree on M. Velez Street near the Capitol.
CENRO foresters Raul Pasoc and Felimon Embalzado Jr. visited the location of the tree and determine the liability of the contractor of the road widening project.
In a press statement, Pasoc said he interviewed JJ and J Construction and General Merchandise site engineer Alfred Tio and was told that Department of Public Works and Highways-7 engineer was the one who allegedly instructed them to cut the tree last month.
Earlier reports said the tree was uprooted last February. Tio claimed that they earth-balled the tree and was transferred at the premises of the San Pedro Calungsod chapel at the South Road Properties.
The FREEMAN visited the chapel but could not see any Dakit tree, big or small, there.
DENR-7 Information Officer Eddie Llamedo said that granted that the contractor really earth-balled the tree, its act still violates the law since JJ and J did not coordinate with their office for proper instruction on the process.
In fact, he said the survival of the tree was at stake since the contractor did not follow protocol. Pasoc said that if this is the case, the tree would eventually die “due to lack of water and dehydration.â€
“We have not issued the appropriate permit on the trees to be affected (by the road widening project) as there are some conditions or requirements which have not been complied with by DPWH-7,†said DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Isabelo R. Montejo, in a press statement.
Llamedo said DENR will hand the letter asking for explanation today to the DPWH-7, which contracted JJ and J to do the project.
He said that in the letter, Montejo ordered DPWH-7 to stop any earth-balling or cutting operations, to explain in writing why the alleged earth-balling was conducted without DENR-7’s supervision, to submit a plan on its measures or interventions on what to do with the earth-balled tree, and to submit a proof of consultation with the stakeholders concerned.
Llamedo said the contractor has already secured a clearance from the office of DENR Undersecretary for field Operations Ignacio, Jr. but it was not a permit for it to proceed already with the earth-balling, as DENR-7 still has conditions that must be complied with.
“Clearance should not be interpreted as a proof to undertake actual cutting or earth-balling. The proper instrument is a permit. In this case, it should have been an earth-balling or special tree cutting permit,†Llamedo said.
The cutting of the dakit tree came just more than a month after several trees at the center island of Serging Osmeña Ave. that was being widened disappeared. That was even when DENR’s earth-balling permit stipulated that the trees would be removed only with the presence of DENR officials. The trees remain missing while a criminal case was already filed against officials of DPWH-7 and WT Construction.
Llameda said DENR “strongly urges†DPWH-7 and contractors of various road rehabilitation and widening projects to coordinate very closely with DENR-7 before removing or cutting trees affected in the implementation of the said projects. (FREEMAN)