Toledo project stopped for destruction of trees

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 has ordered to stop a solar project in Toledo City, saying the company violated the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines for cutting down around 1000 trees without a permit.

On October 28, Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer Raul Pasoc signed the cease and desist order against Sun Asia Energy Incorporated (SAEI).

Pasoc directed SAEI through its project manager Jose Enrique Tolentino to immediately stop cutting trees.

The alleged illegal cutting of trees happened in Barangay Talavera where SAEI is developing a 113-hectare of land into a solar project site.

Based on the memorandum of city environment and natural resources office supervisor Lutheran Hernando addressed to Pasoc, at least 982 naturally planted trees were affected, including a century-old Lamio tree with a buttress measuring five meters in diameter.

Other tree species include Tipolo, Pangantoon, Bangkal, Bagalunga, Lanutan, Acacia, Narra, Mahogany, and Gmelina.

The total volume of trees cut is approximately 2,190 cubic meters or equivalent to 928,560 board feet with an estimated cost of 18.5 million pesos. One board foot is equivalent to 20 pesos.

DENR-7 spokesperson Eddie Llamedo said the illegal cutting of trees started in September.

"Some felled trees were already bulldozed and covered with soil materials when the DENR team conducted an inspection," he said.

"This is the biggest so far in terms of the number of trees cut and mostly premium and native tree species," he added.

The company failed to show a tree cutting permit when the inspectors from the agency's enforcement division, CENCRO, and Toledo City ENRO asked for it last October 26.

Llamedo said it took four days for the team to account the actual volume of the trees cut down.

He said some of the trees were reportedly transported to other properties owned by a certain Gino Baltao.

He said they are not coordinating with the barangay captain of Talavera for the temporary safekeeping of the felled trees.

Montejo has directed his legal division officers to file a case against the company for violating forestry laws.

Montejo said the legal division has been directed to coordinate with CENRO Cebu City to collect or gather more proofs to strengthen the case to be filed this week.

According to DENR, cutting of the said trees without permit violated Sections 77 and 78 of Presidential Decree 705 or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines.

The provision states that any person who shall cut, gather, collect, removed timber or other forest products from any forest land, or timber from alienable or disposable public land, or from private land, without any authority, or possess timber or other forest products without the legal documents as required under existing forest laws and regulations, shall be punished with the penalties imposed under Articles 309 and 310 of the Revised Penal Code.

Meanwhile, the Environmental Management Bureau-7 also issued a notice of violation against First Solar Energy Corporation on November 4 for violating the provision of the environmental compliance certificate.

A technical conference is yet to be scheduled to discuss possible remedies and sanctions for the company.  (FREEMAN)