763 counts of illegal logging filed: Baguio solon breaks silence on massive cutting of trees

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY  – Rep. Nicasio M. Aliping, Jr. broke his over a month of silence in relation to his direct involvement in the felling of over 1,000 trees and massive destruction of a huge portion of the Mount Sto. Tomas watershed in nearby Tuba, Benguet which resulted to the shutdown of three major springs of the Baguio Water District (BWD).

He said he will abide by recommendations of concerned agencies to mitigate the effects of the cutting of trees and earthmoving activities to the environment, especially the city’s water sources.

 Apart from confirming his claim over a 2.6-hectare portion of the declared environmentally critical area which he reportedly bought from the Coyupan family, Aliping belied earlier reports he is putting up a casino or resort in the declared environmentally critical area but what has been proposed was for an eco-park to help sustain biodiversity of the watershed.

“We will comply with whatever recommended mitigating measures in the area in order to help restore the springs serving as a major water source of Baguio and some parts of Tuba, Benguet,” Aliping said.

He said mitigating measures that he hand undertaken in the area was the permanent stoppage of the road construction having a length of around 2.6 kilometers supposedly leading to the eco-park, continuous tree planting activities, put up of stone walls to prevent the cascading of the debris to the springs and the clean-up of the debris that buried the springs and blocked the water pipelines.

He refused to comment on the legitimacy of his eco-park project within the Mount Sto. Tomas watershed which is a declared environmentally critical area using the claims of indigenous peoples living in the area, saying that he will answer the merits of the cases filed against him before the proper forum.

Aliping and three property developers are now facing 763 counts of illegal logging and a separate count of unlawful occupation of an environmentally critical area before the Benguet provincial prosecutor’s office after the felled the more than 1,000 assorted trees and saplings and destroyed the scenery of the watershed by putting up a road in the area.

 The lawmaker, together with William Go of Goldrich Construction, Engr. Romeo U. Aquino of RUA Construction and Development Corporation and Bernard Capuyan of BLC Construction and Aggregates, are also facing administrative charges before the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in the Cordillera for violating the provisions of Presidential Decree (OPD 1586 or the Philippine Environment Impact Statement for introducing developments in a declared environmentally critical area without securing from the agency the required environmental impact assessment and environmental compliance certificate.

 Aliping and his cohorts were also charged before the Pollution and Adjudication Board (PAB) by the BWD for violation of the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act for causing the pollution of the three Amliang springs serving as a major water source leading to its shutting down after debris from their illegal tree cutting and illegal earthmoving activities buried the springs and blocked the pipelines.

Initially, Aliping said the eco-park project was owned by his brother who is an American citizen but based on documents gathered from concerned agencies and the Tuba municipal government, his name appeared to be the signatories of the various letters stating among others that he is the owner-claimant of the property casting doubts on his earlier alibi.

Mount Sto. Tomas, which is located 16 kilometers away from Baguio City with an elevation of around 2,256 meters above sea level, was declared as a watershed and forest reservation on July 8, 1940 by virtue of Proclamation No. 581.

For his part, Engr. Paquito Moreno, regional executive director of the Cordillera office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-CAR), explained tree planting is not considered a mitigating measure on the damaged portion of the Mount Sto. Tomas watershed, citing that it is difficult to restore what has already been destroyed, especially the cut fully-grown trees.

 “We have to wait for several decades before we will again enjoy the benefits of the cut fully grown trees and that the state of the place could no longer be restored to its original state serving as one of the potable water sources of Baguio City,” Moreno said.