For sure, many appreciate and support the decision of DENR-7 to file a complaint against those responsible for the cutting of the trees in connection with a road expansion project in Cebu City.
In particular, we would like to ask all, especially the environmentalists, to rally behind Cebu City Chief Anastacio Cabalejo of (Community Environment and Natural Resources Office) who signed the complaint sheet against several respondents of WTCI.
The complaint is related to the violation of Section 3 of the Presidential Decree No. 953 (Requiring the Planting of Trees in Certain Places and Penalizing Unauthorized Cutting, Destruction, Damaging and Injuring of Certain Trees and Vegetation).
According to CENRO, there were 79 tree species that were removed and could no longer be found. There were 65 fire trees, 3 acacia, 2 duhat, 2 mango trees, 2 talisay dagat trees, and a tree each of ficus, iba, narra, neem, and yellow shower among the missing trees.
Let us hope this positive step taken by DENR-7 and CENTRO-Cebu City will alert all from now on to be more protective of our trees and not resort to indiscriminate or unauthorized cutting of trees anywhere.
Illegal logging was also reported as a major problem in Camp 7 reforested area. We hope the local governments of Talisay and Minglanilla, together with the military, can work with the community residents and barangay officials there to protect this precious remaining forest area of Cebu Province.
Another promising positive development is the reported return of Gigi Reyes, who is closely linked to Enrile. Again, as you may recall, she was reported to have left the country in a hurry when the PDAF scam involving Enrile (and other officials) was exposed. Now that she is back, does that mean the truth behind her involvement and that of Enrile related to the pork barrel scam will be unraveled soon?
News reports are also now focusing on the turn-around of Janet Napoles, who is said to be ready to cooperate and turn state witness vs the officials linked with her in the pork barrel scam. Is her change of heart due to answered prayers of Filipinos who asked God to touch Napoles to reveal the truth behind this PDAF scam? However she came to her present decision to spill all about this scam, let us all offer thanksgiving prayers to God for this positive development.
"I am not the brains," Napoles is quoted. Oh, for sure, she is not. The Filipinos urgently want the full truth to be disclosed and the Filipinos also want all the public money stolen by Napoles and other abusive partners to be returned soonest, including payment for her very expensive detention at present!
Why are we not surprised to learn from her latest revelations that there are more senators and officials linked to the pork barrel scam? It will not at all come as a surprise, even, if the majority or even more of the whole Congress, officials and their staff, may be linked to this scam as well!
Our people have been so used to private abuse of public funds for decades- we hope this is the year allowed by the Lord for corruption and abuse to stop and for the abusive and corrupt, finally punished accordingly. It's about time the abusive and corrupt are punished, especially those who use public office for their personal and family interests.
Even if these positive developments are coming in slowly and in trickles, oh, let there be more positive news to share with our people from here on!
The more and the sooner public funds are responsibly utilized, especially for our needy and vulnerable groups, the better for all Filipinos and our country! The more honest and responsible Filipinos there will be, the better for all!
Let us continue to stay positive and let us continue with our public joint prayers for God to shower us with more grace and blessings of more positive steps and developments for our country and our people.
May this be the year when our vulnerable groups, especially among the poor, will really see positive development in their quest for steady food, stable employment and sufficient income, adequate shelter and disaster protection. May the coming days and weeks also provide the much-needed post-disaster reconstruction and support for all those affected by disasters last year and in the previous years!
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Email at cherryb_thefreeman@yahoo.com