Firm stops tree cutting

Monday, February 13, 2012

ENVIRONMENT officials and the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) have stepped-up their efforts to prevent the cutting of 1,033 pine trees inside Camp John Hay.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje, in a memorandum dated January 27, ordered John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC) to cease and desist from cutting and earth-balling trees relative to the ongoing development in the former US military base.

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The order was in line with the logging moratorium or Executive order 23 issued by President Benigno Aquino III prohibiting JHMC “from cutting/harvesting trees within its area of jurisdiction/concession.”

Paje said this is for the DENR to conduct a developmental review of JHMC developmental activities.

This prompted DENR Regional Executive Director Clarence Baguilat to order JHMC to cease and desist from undertaking any tree-cutting and/or earth-balling of trees, which will be affected by ongoing or proposed development activities within John Hay.

Baguilat said the moratorium covers cutting or harvesting of naturally grown trees in natural or residual forests, considering that the Benguet pine trees in John Hay comprises one of the few biggest remaining pine forests within Baguio city.

“The cease and desist order shall remain enforced until and unless a clearance is issued by the Secretary,” Baguilat said.

Meanwhile, the BCDA, as a result recently ordered not to allow any lessee or locator within their economic zone to violate environmental laws.

JHMC is a subsidiary corporation of BCDA mandated to administer the John Hay Special Economic Zone and the forest reservation within the area.

BCDA president and chief executive officer Arnel Cassanova said they will not allow any such undertaking amid reports that one of its lessee the Camp John Hay Development Corporation had plans to cut and earth ball 1,033 trees in the John Hay Special Economic Zone.

In a recent BCDA press statement, the demand letter that CJHDevco sent to BCDA last December showed the lessee wanted the government to approve all their permits pending with the One-Stop Action Center (OSAC).

Of the 15 permits pending at the OSAC, BCDA claimed ten of these permits are for tree-cutting and earth-balling that will affect 1,033 trees in John Hay.

Of these trees that will be affected, BCDA records revealed some 520 trees will be cut and 513 will be earth-balled.

In its reply, BCDA said only the DENR is the government agency authorized to issue tree-cutting and earth balling permits.

“We want to comply with environmental laws,” Casanova said. “However, CJHDevco wanted us to exceed our authority by demanding that we approve their pending tree-cutting permits. When we did not give in to their demands, which may expose us to legal liabilities, they unilaterally rescinded the contract and are now claiming an atrocious amount of P14.4 billion from government.”

“We cannot be faulted for adhering to the rule of law. Gone are the days of impunity. We have a government now that stands for integrity and the rule of law, particularly laws that protect our environment,” Casanova added.

The BCDA president reiterated it is CJHDevCo who owes the government P3.024 billion and has used the pending permit applications as excuse for its increasing obligations.