Going against TEPOs over forests and mountains

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March Fianza

Passing by Forbes Park, that forest between Ambuclao Road and Gibraltar, I chanced upon personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources who were on their feet implementing a temporary environment protection order (TEPO) issued by the court in December of 2016.

Stopping to check for myself what the fuss was, I saw Community Environment Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) Engr. Alejandro de Jesus and his staff who apparently finished tearing down shanties built inside the forested area.

CENRO de Jesus said, around 45 shanties built and hidden under the thick foliage of trees had to be demolished, otherwise DENR could be cited in contempt for not protecting Forbes Park from illegal intruders and land speculators.

After finding out who the defendants were in the TEPO, I knew right away that the personalities were the same people who attempted entry to private and public lands alike in Baguio and nearby La Trinidad. On several instances, I have encountered them.

The names that were mentioned in the TEPO are members of a group, short of being a syndicate victimizing innocent lot buyers. They have connections with the DENR, the assessor’s office, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Registry of Deeds (ROD), and have financiers

This only means that illegal settlers intrude into areas despite the court’s issuance of a TEPO. Such informal settlers should be brought to justice so that those guilty of the charges under PD 705 will pay the penalties and be locked behind bars.

But so far, I have not heard of informal settlers, land syndicates or anybody put behind bars for violating a TEPO or for the illegal sale of lands within forests and public lands.

What is so disgusting is that the DENR or its agents are the ones who may be held in contempt if the TEPO is not implemented properly, but the intruders and land syndicates who made money out of selling portions of the area go scot free.

Over at the Mount Pulag National Park, recent pictures taken by residents confirmed that vast areas of Sitio Naubanan in Barangay Ekip where the headwaters of Bokod are located, were deforested by unscrupulous vegetable farmers. 

The 2,926-meter high MPNP that spreads over 11,550 hectares within the shared borders of Benguet, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya has been in the limelight recently after CENRO de Jesus led the confiscation of volumes of board feet of Pine lumber at Sitio Naubanan.

Again, no violators of the environmental laws were apprehended, evenwhile residents reported the presence of a bulldozer that is used by farmers to expand their vegetable gardens.

Due to the series of reports, the need to file in court environmental cases against the perpetrators is in order. Hopefully, a TEPO will also be issued over MPNP. 

In response, CENRO De Jesus said they are studying the suggestions and recommendations to acquire a TEPO over MPNP, but they have to consider the concerns of IPs in the area since it is within the CADT of Bokod, Kabayan and Nueva Viscaya.

Meanwhile, I earlier got information that the DENR has finished its management plan over the Mount Santo Tomas forest reservation that has been in the public eye for several years.

Sitio Pungayan at Mount Santo Tomas in Tuba, Benguet was the set for the ABS-CBN telenovela “Forevermore” that stopped airing in 2015.

The Supreme Court issued a TEPO in September of 2014 due to the destruction on the mountain apparently caused by the domino effect of “Forevermore”, other human activities, including the bulldozing of soil and vegetation cover within the alleged property of a politician.

This was followed by the issuance of a Permanent Environmental Protection Order (PEPO) in March 2015 by the Court of Appeals.

The SC issued the TEPO after then Baguio City Bishop Carlito Cenzon and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas led people of Tuba, Benguet, and San Fabian, Pangasinan in filing a petition seeking a Writ of Kalikasan and Writ of Continuing Mandamus.

However, the TEPO does not say that residents leave the area but were ordered to stop expanding their improvements. This was also in compliance with the management plan to enforce strict protection of the identified no-touch zone to prevent cutting of trees and encourage planting of more trees.

Although, it is quite titillating and contentious to read that the plan also identifies eco-tourism sites where souvenir shops may be allowed, which to me is a violation of the PEPO.

If there are requests by the Municipality of Tuba to have tourism-related activities at the Mount Santo Tomas forest reservation, this should be forwarded to the court that issued the PEPO.

On another front, I read that an organization of self-proclaimed environmentalists had asked the DENR to relax the implementation of the TEPO over Mount Santo Tomas in Tuba, Benguet.

I am puzzled as to where the recommendation to allow tourists to once again have the chance to visit Mount Santo Tomas is coming from, but such statements from a group that claims to fight for environmental protection is suspect.

And by the way, when bulldozing occurred on top of Mount Santo Tomas, the clandestine activity contaminated the Amliang dams that are tap water sources of communities in Tuba and Baguio.

The PEPO also orders that steps to mitigate the contamination of the water impounding dams be implemented. It is suspicious as to why the group wants tourists to enter Mount Santo Tomas.

To suggest that allowing outside tourists to enter and enjoy the beauty of Mount Santo Tomas is important is not only a cheap ploy to a veiled interest, it directly contradicts the PEPO.