Priest opposes cutting of trees for BRT project
This time, he is opposing the move of the Cebu City government to earthball and cut more than 2,000 trees to be affected by the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and to leave a message to Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
“Do not forget Mayor Osmeña, you will die. If not very soon, sooner or later, you will die and you will leave a legacy of a mayor cutting more than 2,000 trees. If we are ancient Filipinos who believe that each object in nature has a soul, (more than) 2,000 souls of trees will wait for you in the afterlife. So, your legacy will be the mayor who murdered 2,000 trees. Shame on you,” he said.
He also criticized some mayors in other localities for allowing the cutting of trees calling them “environmental criminals and murderers.”
Reyes said mayors and other local officials should have been “frontliners” in preserving and protecting the environment, especially heritage trees.
“You should be the first to protect not only people. If you have to protect people, you also have to protect their environment,” he said.
Reyes was among the participants who arrived in Cebu City yesterday in a cross-country caravan that serves as social movement opposing against the restoration of death penalty in the country.
More than 2,000 trees are expected to be cut or earthballed to pave the way for the BRT Project.
“If nobody says anything or does anything, it will happen,” he said.
Reyes was the priest back in 2014 who opposed the cutting of heritage trees along the stretch of Naga, San Fernando and Carcar due to a road widening project.
Even with the solidarity run that he spearheaded and the climbing of a tree in the City of Naga, still the project was completed and the identified trees still cut.
“Pero talagang naputol ang puno from Naga to Carcar. Ang mga tao doon hindi nag-oppose,” he said.
He implied that the fate of these more than 2,000 existing trees depends on the actions of the Cebuanos.
He can only do little, he said.
Reyes told reporters that he plans to tie white ribbons again to these trees that would signal a call for Cebuanos to protect these trees.
“I can put white ribbons there before I leave. Then let the Cebuanos put the white ribbon and then I can come back to help. The same thing will happen if Cebuanos will not oppose it. The 2,000 trees will be dead. Sayang,” he said.
Reyes said these trees are not only owned by Cebu citizens, but every single tree in the country belongs to the Filipino people.
“We have to develop a love for trees. Apparently, there is no love for trees, seemingly there is hatred. Like they are getting away from progress or they are obstacles to progress, so therefore we must cut the trees. And this is absolutely wrong,” he said.
He added the plan to cut more than 2,000 trees may be anchored on the idea that these are seen as obstacle to business proposals of a few individuals who are mainly benefiting from the project.
“BRT – is this poverty alleviation? Or is it raising the profits of those who want to become richer. So, the analysis is skewed in favor of those in power,” Reyes said. (FREEMAN)
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