黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) officials were quizzed on Wednesday regarding alleged irregularities in the construction of illegal structures聽within protected areas of Mt. Apo.

In a hearing. Senators Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay, and Raffy Tulfo sought answers on why the DENR allowed sari-sari stores, schools, gyms, churches, and private resorts, among others there.

According to聽Tulfo, only a few of the more than 90 structures within Mt. Apo鈥檚 protected area have an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).

But DENR Region XI Executive Director Ma. Mercedes Dumagan said: 鈥淢ay ECC na po ang iba (Others already have ECC).鈥�

READ: Mt. Apo Natural Park to stay closed until April 30, says DENR

Explaining that of all the structures, 鈥�34聽 have Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) clearance and no ECC鈥� while 鈥�53 are without PAMB clearance and with no ECC.鈥�

Tulfo, however, maintained that structures without ECCs should not have been built in Mt. Apo.

鈥淚n the first place hindi ninyo sana pinayagan 鈥榶un na makapag patayo 鈥榶an. Kanina pa paulit-ulit, kailangan permit muna bago structure. Dito ang nangyari structure muna bago permit tapos in process pa 鈥榶ung permit,鈥� said Tulfo.

(In the first place you should not have allowed it to build. We have been repeating it that there must be a permit first before the structure. What happened here was the structure was built first before the permit, then the permit is still in process.)

Mt. Apo as 鈥榤ultiple use鈥� zone

Villar and Binay, on the other hand, grilled DENR officials on why most of Mt. Apo was declared as a 鈥渕ultiple use zone.鈥�

Villar pointed out that the structures in question were built in the multiple use zone.

READ: Mt, Apo illegal structures discovered

鈥淒ito sa binigay mong hectarage, ang buffer zone ay 6,000 [hectares], ang multiple use zone ay 24,000 [hectares], ang strict protected zone is 30,000 [hectares]. Ang laki ng multiple use zone. 鈥榊an ang tinayuan ng [structures]. Bakit ang laki? Bakit ninyo pa dineclare na protected area kung multiple use zone lang 鈥榶un? Magkasing laki sila halos,鈥� said Villar.

(Here in the hectarage you presented, the buffer zone is 6,000 hectares, multiple use zone is 24,000 hectares, while the strict protected zone is 30,000. The multiple use zone is so big. This is where the structures are being built. Why is it so big? Why did you declare this as a protected area when most of it will only be categorized as a multiple use zone?)

Binay seconded Villar鈥檚 query.

To this, Biodiversity Management Bureau Officer in Charge Director Marcial Amaro Jr. explained that 鈥渢here is no specific provision under existing guidelines on what will be the percentage of the multiple use zone and the strict protection zone.鈥�

But who issued the permits?

Later into the hearing, Villar asked who authorized the issuance of permits that the structures supposedly have.

鈥淔or the PAMB clearance it was the PAMB. For the ECC, it was the [Environmental Management Bureau],鈥� said DENR Regional Executive Director Dumagan.

Environment Secretary Maria Yulo-Loyzaga then interjected, explaining that the issuance of permits to the structures are 鈥渁lready ongoing before [her] administration.鈥�

Tulfo, however, slammed the DENR chief for seemingly pointing fingers.

Still, Yulo-Loyzaga emphasized that, 鈥淚 am not blaming anyone. I am acknowledging the facts as they are on the ground when I assumed office.鈥�

鈥淭his is why I have begun to institute these investigations and suspended the power of the region to actually issue ECCs,鈥� the DENR official said.

鈥淲e are being very careful as far as establishing whose responsibility and authorities were put in line during the process of the construction of these particular structures. We cannot just point fingers 鈥� we have to acknowledge that the investigation, the evidence need to be quite thorough,鈥� Yulo-Loyzaga further said.

Mt. Apo stands at 2,954 meters above sea level. It is a favorite destination of mountaineers, especially during summer.

Mt. Apo can be reached through six trails starting from Kidapawan, Makilala, and Magpet in Cotabato province and Digos, Sta. Cruz, and Bansalan in Davao del Sur province.