EMB: Solon violated laws in excavation of mountain

BAGUIO CITY – Rep. NicasioAliping Jr. has admitted to excavation activities on the mountain leading to his family property in Santo Tomas, Tuba, Benguet, according to the Environment Management Bureau.

Aliping was linked to the massive destruction of a portion of the Mount Sto. Tomas forest reservation which he has insisted to be his claim.

He  is now questioning investigating agencies on why he is being singled out in the filing of a number of administrative and criminal charges against him in relation to the destruction of the environmentally critical area.

EMB public information officer Susan Nisperos, said Thursday Aliping admitted to the excavation activities during Monday’s technical conference called by the agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

As such, Nisperos said Aliping had violated Section IV of Presidential Decree 1586 known as the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement ((EIS) System relative to his excavation project which was implemented without the necessary permit, like the Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC).

It led to the destruction of the water source of the Baguio Water District (BWD), she said.

Aliping, who committed to stop such activities and pay the appropriate penalties, reportedly also admitted that his application for a permit with the municipal government of Tuba was denied.

Aliping,, in an interview with reporters inside his office late Wednesday afternoon, said land development activities within his 28,885-square meter claim within the forest reservation was just contributory to the reported massive destruction of the environment in the area that has polluted the Amlian river and the shutdown of the three springs of the Baguio Water District (BWD) serving as one of the major sources of potable water supply for almost 30 percent of the population of the city.

“Why only me?  was the question raised by Aliping to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and EMB which are handling the cases of violation of the provisions of Presidential Decree (PD) 705 now pending with the Benguet prosecutor’s office and violation of PD 1586 pending with the EMB-CAR, respectively.

He said aside from his land development activities within his claim, other environmentally destructive activities within the Mount Sto. Tomas forest reservation are the reported small-scale mining operations, massive expansion of commercial vegetable farms by the people living in the villages and the road development of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) leading to the different telecommunication relay stations within the reservation.

Aliping said he was being reportedly singled out in the environmental destruction charges because of his current position as his actuations should be based on norms and conduct of a public official.

Aliping used as a basis of his defense a letter dated 13 May 2014 of Engr. Salvador Royeca, BWD general manager, addressed to Tuba Mayor Florencio Bentres, where he detailed that the land development of the lawmaker was just one of the contributory factors causing the pollution of the Amlian river and the springs because of the unabated dumping of debris within parts of the water impounding facilities.

Aliping and three property developers are being linked to the felling of over 1,000 assorted trees and saplings and the massive excavation works within the forest reservation for the put up of a road leading to his supposed property which is being planned to be converted into an eco-park.

He admitted introducing improvements within his claim but repeatedly denied knowledge about the road development works leading to his claimed property where the felled trees and saplings were planted.

Aliping also blamed his still unidentified project engineer for his alleged wrong decisions in the land development of his claim that resulted to him being blamed for the illegal cutting of trees and massive excavation works of the road in the area and that he had already fired his employee.

He claimed the units of heavy equipment seen working in the area were borrowed from contractors, BLC Construction and Aggregates, RUA Aquino Construction and Development and Goldrich Construction.

Paquito Moreno, DENR-CAR regional director, denied insinuations of Aliping that the agency has not done anything to stop the small-scale mining and commercial vegetable farm expansions within the 3,000-hectare Mount Sto. Tomas forest reservation that was decalred as an environmentally critical area in July 1940.

“The problem in Mount Sto. Tomas is complex but we have initially done a thorough investigation of existing works in the area that resulted to the submission of a forest land use plan to the Tuba municipal government for consideration,” Moreno stressed.

Moreno said the DENR-CAR is simply awaiting the appropriate action of the Tuba municipal council on the pending proposed forest land use plan because the local government has to approve the same and provide the necessary inputs in order to improve the implementation of the plan.

“Our investigation has already bee in place but it was overtaken by events, especially when the issue on the massive tree cutting and illegal excavation works of Aliping had been exposed by the media,” Moreno said.

During the excavation, some two months ago, around a thousand trees were reportedly cut for a project which led to outcry from concerned Baguio and Benguet residents and officials.

Charges have already been filed against Aliping and three contractors for this.

The Baguio congressman has yet to answer allegations filed against him in court for illegal logging among others as he filed a motion for extension to answer such charges.  – With a report from Dexter See