On “missing” trees DPWH-7s request rejected

CEBU, Philippines - Insisting that conditions earlier laid down should be complied with, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources yesterday turned down the request for the lifting of the cease and desist order issued after trees in S. Osmeña Boulevard went missing.

Road rehabilitation stopped after the mostly fire trees could no longer be found, despite the condition that they should be removed with DENR and city officials around.

 In a Department of Public Works and Highways technical conference yesterday, Forestry Management Division Regional Technical Director Eduardo Inting stood by their position to require DPWH to produce around 7,900 trees to replace the 79 trees in Serging Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu City that went missing while the road rehabilitation project was ongoing.

Inting presided over the meeting with Danilo dela Cruz and Adolfo Quiroga from WT Construction Incorporated; Librando Macaraya Jr. from the Cebu Parks and Playground Commission; Engr. Roy dela Cruz from DPWH 7, and two others from the Cebu City Community Environment and Natural Resources Office.

The cease and desist order was issued April 4 after the trees went missing.

 In asking for the lifting of the ban, DPWH-7 argued that 66 trees need to be cut and that three big events, namely: the Ironman, the International Eucharistic Congress, and the Papal Visit, would happen in Cebu soon.

Community Environment and Natural Resources Office - Cebu City Chief Anastacio Cabalejo said that their office received a memorandum from DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Isabelo R. Montejo that the conditions for the lifting of the order must be observed.

During the conference, DPWH-7 dela Cruz promised to comply with the conditions but asked for the lifting of the order first, a proposal DENR-7 rejected.

In the same meeting, DENR presented two options that could be adopted. These were the replacement of trees and lifting of the CDO and continued pursuit of the case; while the other option is to wait for the case to be resolved first before replacement follows.

Hearing this, the DENR-7 representatives said they would consult DPWH-7 Director Ador Canlas first.  DPWH, however, submitted a third option, which is to have the order lifted first and defer the replacement of the missing trees “to avoid preempting a decision of the court.”  (FREEMAN)