SC affirms protection order over Mount Santo Tomas Forest Reserve
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The Supreme Court En Banc — in a 19-page decision on June 2022, posted on November 25 last year but only made known to the petitioners this January — has granted a Writ of Kalikasan over the the Santo Tomas Forest Reserve at Mount Stanto Tomas in Tuba, Benguet.
The court has denied former Baguio City Congressman Nicasio Aliping Jr.'s Petition for Review against Court of Appeals (former 4th Division), Bishop Carlito Cenzon, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Sheree Nolasco, Marie Balangue, Nonnette Bennett, Dr. Teresita De Venecia, Antonio Supremido, Jr. and Pastor Gener Tandoc.
On September 2014, the Supreme Court en banc issued a Writ of kalikasan with a Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO) against developments and other activities at the forest reserve.
The TEPO directed concerned officials, private individuals — including Aliping — to refrain from or stop earth-moving activities in the area.
Also because of the Writ, the area especially the spot where a "teleserye" was filmed was closed to tourism activities as tourists swarmed the area, resulting in congestion and pollution.
Aliping petitioned the Court of Appeals questioning the Writ in 2014
The CA upheld the privilege of the Writ of Kalikasan, the Writ of Continuing Mandamus and also made the protection order permanent in 2015.
Aliping was also ordered to cease and desist from developing the land he was claiming at the forest reserve.
On October 2015, Aliping again petitioned asking for a reconsideration but was denied by the SC En Banc, who also found that tree-cutting at the forest reservation to give way for road construction of two roads leading to his claimed property resulted in forest degradation.
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