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Thursday, January 29, 2004
Duterte wary of issuing cease order v. plantations: CLO
By Aurea A. Gerundio
THE City Legal Office (CLO) said on Wednesday that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is apprehensive over the issuance of a stoppage order on the operation of banana and pineapple plantations encroaching on protected areas, including the Mt. Apo National Park because only the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is authorized to issue the order.
"This office is apprehensive that the City Mayor might be encroaching upon the duties and authorities granted to the DENR if he issues the stoppage order," said CLO acting assistant chief Santos Torreņa.
Torreņa said, however, that if DENR officials fail to implement the rules, then environmentalists may file administrative charges against them before the Ombudsman.
As to reports that a 6.7-hectare banana plantation is encroaching the National Park, Torreņa said a violation of the National Integrated Protected Area System Act was clearly committed, but that the City Government must "refer the matter to DENR for the proper and strict implementation of environmental rules."
Earlier, DENR 11 Protected Areas and Wildlife Division chief Leonilo Rivera said the banana plantation encroaching the National Park at Barangay Manuel Guianga area, reportedly owned by one Jules Mejos, was already ordered to stop operation almost a year ago.
Rivera said the same plantation is already on its phase-out stage, which means the growers are just waiting for the final harvest of bananas.
Mountaineers oppose plantations
Meanwhile, mountaineers belonging to different groups in Davao City have expressed support to the appeal by several environmentalists opposing the expansion of banana and pineapple plantations within environmentally critical areas of the Talomo-Lipadas watershed.
The mountaineers came up with a position paper seeking the stoppage of the operation of banana and pineapple plantations encroaching critical areas. They believe the plantations are heavy-users of chemicals that damage the environment.
They said some plantations may have acquired an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) from DENR, but they reportedly failed to implement the rules and regulations.
(January 29, 2004 issue)
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