IN SPITE OF DENR DEFENSE 

LINGAYEN—Angered over the lack of consultation with affected communities and the provincial government, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) is considering the filing of charges against those responsible for the  massive cutting of decades-old trees along the Manila National Road in the eastern part of Pangasinan.

Board members said government agencies involved in the project violated Republic Act 3571, which prohibits the cutting, destroying or injuring of plants and trees along public roads and grounds.

Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr. said officials of DENR, DPWH and the contractors should face a criminal case that could be filed by the provincial legislative body.

“The cutting of about 50-year old trees along the national highway was sadly permitted by the DENR and has never consulted the SP neither the civic organizations,” said Bince during the SP’s March 3 session wherein an inquiry on the controversy was conducted.

“The SP was never consulted, was never informed in advance… the (concerned) Sangguniang Bayans (SBs) were consulted but we did not receive any SB resolution endorsing the cutting of trees,” added Bince.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had given the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) a 90-day permit, which expired on February 1, 2014, to cut the trees along the Mc Arthur Highway in the towns of Rosales, Binalonan, Sison, Pozorrubio, and Villasis as well as Urdaneta City to make way for the road widening project.

Leduina Co, provincial environment and natural resources officer, earlier said the road widening project of the DPWH was exempted from RA 3571 based on  Presidential Executive Order No. 23, Section 2.2 dated February 1, 2011.

The road project affects about 1,829 trees and about 70 percent or 1,280 have already been chopped.

Bince said the board is also planning to seek an injunction to stop the cutting of the remaining trees.

The SP inquiry will be continued on March 10.

NO CONSULTATION

Pangasinan Historical and Cultural Commission commissioner Virginia Pasalo claimed that the consultation done was only with barangay captains “na kaalyado nila”.

Pasalo also pointed out that the road-widening will only benefit 2% of the populace that own vehicles.

Father Robert Reyes, also known as the “running priest,’  said it is undermining sustainable development by not considering the wellness of the people and the environment.

PETITION

Pasalo and Reyes have initiated an online petition to stop the cutting of trees.

Pasalo said if their petition is rejected, they will bring the case before the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the Women in Development Foundation (WID), International Visit Program-Philippines Alumni Foundation and Pozorrubio Institute of Development Alternatives have also issued a joint statement calling on the concerned agencies to stop the cutting of trees until the road-users plan is presented to the affected communities and civil society groups. —Johanne R. Macob with report from PIA1-Pangasinan/EBS

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