THE trouble over water that springs from Loctob, barangay Gotozon, Loboc, Bohol, now being developed into a drinkable water by Loboc Water, Inc. (LWI), is far from over. This came despite the fact that LWI assured Loboc town to make water flow right at the office of the mayor on December 20.
LWI filed a case against the Loboc Mayor Raymond Jala and other officials for Damages with Prayer for Declaration of Unconstitutionality and Preliminary Injunction before RTC branch 50 in Loay town, according to Atty. Marvin Aceron, LWI legal counsel.
Named respondents are Mayor Jala and other officials of the town under the mayor’s order, the complaint showed.
This also an offshoot of the apparent failure for a dialogue between the warring parties (LWI and Loboc officials) held at the municipal hall on November 29, 2024.
Richli Water Corp, a company behind the LWI, wanted that the said the scheduled dialogue need no participation of other offices, like Dept. of Public works and Highways II, Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-Tagbilaran, Environmental Management Bureau of DENR, Bohol Environment Management Office, Bohol Mineral Regulatory Office and Provincial Legal Office. It wanted that only the Loboc and LWI officials.
LWI manager Alfredo Calinawan received the letter from Mayor Jala for a dialogue to iron out kinks between the town and the water provider.
The bone of contention in the filing of a legal action is that LWI legal counsel Marvin Aceron wanted that the LGU Loboc should not interfere in the conduct of an ocular inspection without court order while the construction of water treatment is on-going.
Loboc officials led by Mayor Jala, earlier, asked the DENR to conduct an on-site inspection of the alleged quarrying perpetrated by LWI due to complaints raised by some sectors. But LWI denied entry of the inspection team as it presented no court order.
LWI asked a formal or written copy of the complaint, if any, be provided to LWI as a matter of due process, but Loboc officials, not even the mayor, cannot show one, Aceron said.
Mayor Jala was quoted as saying that under the Building code of the Philippines, an LGU has the right to inspect any building construction located within its territorial jurisdiction. But LWI insisted that a court order is needed to push for the planned inspection.
He told media earlier that Loboc town did not block in any form the entry of LWI. In fact, the town has issued necessary permits, including the issuance of building permit, to commence the water treatment project.
LWI said that the defacing part of the titled lot as perceived to be a quarrying is part of the land preparation for the construction of the water treatment facility of the LWI. It is not quarrying, Aceron said.
He said that the planned water treatment facility secured an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and other pertinent documents from agencies concerned and the Loboc town for the project to commence.
When asked if the site for the water treatment that get water from Loctob spring is within the protected or watershed area, he said in the negative, contrary to the DENR’s claim.
The Expanded-National Integrated Protected Areas systems (E-NIPAS) or Republic Act No. 11038 listed Alburquerque – Loay – Loboc Protected Area with an area of 1,165.51 hectares. Others included in the said Law are the following: chocolate Hills Protected Area and Landscape, 13,994.95 has.; Panglao Island Protected Seascape, 2,445.08 Has.; Rajah Sikatuna Landscape Protected Area, 10,964.64 has.; and Talibon Group of Islands protected Seascape, 6,446.31 has.
Aceron told media interview that the supposedly on-going construction works of the water facility at Loctob spring has already been delayed whenever the town tried to do an inspection. This is a burden on the part of the contractor since it is following its time frame to complete the project.
On the dialogue scenario, LWI insisted that all media men be allowed to witness the dialogue as a matter of transparency, but the mayor allegedly denied media audience.
A reliable source said that the mayor did not actually bar media access in witnessing the dialogue but allegedly allowed only one per media outfit.
The dialogue started without the participation of the LWI, But other office representatives arrived at the scene and the dialogue started without LWI involvement. (rvo)
