Saturday, June 16, 2007 Councilor wants ransack of environment office probed By Rimaliza Opiña
APPARENTLY irritated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' (DENR) lack of initiative to pursue the ransack of its field office at the Busol watershed, reelected Baguio City Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia made formal his earlier plea for an investigation on the incident.
Balajadia said in a proposed resolution that charges should also be filed against those who rummaged the DENR office last May 14.
He stressed a government office as well as the Busol watershed has to be protected from intruders being an integral water source of Baguio as well as in the neighboring town of La Trinidad.
The DENR earlier reported that several individuals barged into its field office at the Baguio side of the watershed and took materials that they have confiscated from those living in the area.
But aside from a report of the incident, nothing was heard from the DENR, which prompted the Balajadia to seek a deeper investigation on the matter in light of a recent decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) that said the Baguio City Government's fencing of the watershed is illegal.
Balajadia said the CA ruling should not be interpreted by claimants in the area to mean that they could continue putting up structures at the watershed.
He claimed the same CA ruling said that no new structures should be put up and that the authorities concerned have to ensure the protection of the watershed.
