EDITORIAL

Probe needed on involvement of DENR officials on illegal titling of watersheds

It is high time officials of the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources among other officials involved in the illegal issuance of individual land titles and approval of surveys on watershed areas of Mountain Province like Mt. Data should be investigated. But the investigation should be done by a multi-sectoral body to erase suspicions that if it would only be the DENR doing the probe, there would be a whitewash.

The provincial peace and order council also earlier requested a congressional investigation on the issue with provincial officials saying they were willing to go to Manila to have an audience with DENR secretary Lito Atienza who could initiate the probe. But then again, House and Senate investigations have been touted “in aid of legislation cum grandstanding,” Dalog has called on provincial DENR chief Peter Osbucan and Cordillera regional director Samuel Peñafiel to schedule the meeting but to date the two officials have reportedly not given a time schedule.

Dalog had instructed his staff to look into the problem particularly basis of issuance of land titles considering that 82 percent (166 hectares out of 201 hectares} of surveyed lots are outside the alienable and disposable area. Penafiel was quoted as saying his office was also investigating the issue and that he would “urge the Solicitor General to file a class suit should we find it illegal.

This is all what we could do for now because unless the titles issued are revoked, the recipients remain to be the owners of the land.” The alleged illegal titling of lots near the Mount Data watershed came to fore when residents of Barangay Dacudac in Tadian, on August 5, 2004, planted trees on an area they claimed as part of the community’s watershed only to be sued for illegal entry and damage to property by a certain Delson Palid.

In one of the court hearings, Palid produced a title to prove ownership over the land and dispute the claim of Dacudac residents that the area was communal property. A year after the incident, provincial government employees assigned to guard the Mount Data Hotel were also charged for theft by some gardeners when they captured rolls of plastic water hose tapped in one of the creeks which supplies water to nearby communities. The provincial government offered to build a water reservoir to supply gardeners and community people but was refused by the vegetable farmers.

This remedial measure was suggested by the provincial health office to avoid water pollution partly caused by people who frequent the area to tap and fix their water hoses. The uncooperative stance of some parties to possible solutions that benefit gardeners and nearby communities prompted Tadian officials to ask the help of the PPOC which made a resolution requesting secretary Atienza to revoke the land titles and the survey of lots outside the alienable and disposable section.

A copy of the completed survey and list of land claimants furnished to the office of the governor said some titled lots were timberlands and mossy forests with only small patches being utilized as vegetable farms.

Added to these, the municipality of Mankayan, Benguet has laid claim on at least 69 lots with a total area of more or less 532,128 square meters as manifested on the list despite the question of whether the area was part of Tadian or Mankayan. An investigation on all these by a multi-sectoral group should settle the issues involved wherein guilty parties should be held to account for their misdeeds.