THE much-decried suspension imposed by the Ombudsman against the 69 officials, including Gov. Aris Aumentado and municipal mayors, in connection with the controversial Captain’s Peak resort inside the protected Chocolate Hills area, has provoked a chaos, anger and injustice, Mayor Atty. Antonino M. Jumawid of Batuan town, once a hot bed of insurgency in the ‘80s and ’90, said in his fb post.
“Nakurat ug nagkagubot ang katawhan Bol-anon sa kalit, walay due process ug para sa kadaghanan, walay basihan nga pagsuspenso sa mga opisyales sa barangay, lungsod ug probinsya sa Bohol. Bisan walay labot gisuspenso, tungod lamang kay miembro sa Protected Area Management Board (PAMB),” the mayor said.
(The Boholano people were surprised since there was no due process and no basis of the suspension of the officials concerned just because they’re PAMB members).
The Ombudsman last week has preventively suspended Bohol Gov. Aris Aumentado and 68 others for six months without pay, including those members Chocolate Hills Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) as a result of the investigation into the controversial construction of Captain’s Peak resort in Sagbayan town.
The Ombudsman field investigation office (FIO) as complainant “charges public respondents with grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service relative to the construction, operation and expansion of Captain’s Peak Resort in Canmano, Sagbayan, Bohol, an establishment nestled in the middle of the iconic Chocolate Hills National Monument (CHNM), a declared protected in Bohol.”
The resort has no Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), Special Use Agreement in Protected Areas (SAPA) issued from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Management Bureau (EMB).
The mayor expressed lament that the people of Bohol especially their leaders even those who were not suspended are fuming because they believe this is a form of injustice.
Another point stressed by the mayor is that the private landowners who were there even before the law was enacted and developed and live it were indeed surprised when they learned a notice of violation of the law and threatened them to pay the penalty, if not, imprisoned. Why they made us criminal that we did nothing wrong? The mayor said.
“Unsay bation kun sa imong kaugalingon balay ug yuta, unya magbaligya ka sa imong producto sa kaumahan, para pamilya makakaon, unya duolon ka sa taga gobyerno ug ingnon nga posibling multahan o bilanggoon ka kay walay PAMB Clearance ug ECC (Maayo man ang nibadlong kay segurado man ang suweldo/makakaon ang pamilya). Labi na kun sayod ka, nga dili makatarunganon, kay dili makadaut sa hills, walay hills or layo kaayo ang chocolate hills ang imong lugar?”
(What will you feel when you trade your farm produce so your family can have meals but then somebody from the government approach and tell you that you’ll be punished because you don’t have PAMB clearance and Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC).
The mayor narrated what happened to small business because the DENR threatened these small businesses of possible fine and penalty because they violated the law for having no ECC and PAMB go-signal. These small businesses include those trading with fowls and eggs, vulcanizing shops, sari-sari stores and others since the entire Batuan territory is declared a protected area.
“Ug bisan pa ilang balay o shop o tindahan, dugay na, naa sa private land, sa patag ug walay chocolate hills sa palibot. Nasuko ang uban kay naay mga warning gipang butang ug giisip silang kriminal ug dili na tag iya sa yuta.”
The mayor said that “The law is creating a social volcano.” The people are confused because of this no clear-cut policy imposed on them. They (people) perceived the government is supposedly to provide them with peace and justice, according to the mayor.
The mayor reiterated that Batuan people had been protecting and still is ready to protect the Chocolate Hills and the government in return should recognize and respect the private land ownership.
“Apan daghan yuta nga wala o layo sa mga hills. Mga private land/A&D na ang mga yuta sukad sa 1927. Ang mga Batuanon ug ubang lumolupyo, nagpuyo sa Chocolate Hills, bisan wala pa mauso ang turismo, wala pa ang katsila, wala pa ang Republica sa Pilipinas, wala pa ang DENR ug ENIPAS.”
Because of this unjustified move of the government, “There is no peace if there is no justice. Justice is to respect the rights of others, to give what is due,” the mayor concluded. (Ric Obedencio)
