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Thursday, December 09, 2004
Lifestyle check on environment agency execs urged
DAVAO City Representative Prospero "Boy" Nograles asked Wednesday the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to conduct lifestyle check on its officials assigned in Mindanao.
Calling on DENR Secretary Michael Defensor to initiate such move, Nograles said he has been receiving persistent reports of massive corruption among regional and provincial environment officials assigned in various Mindanao regions where logging operations are unabated.
He also called on the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to do the same on their officers.
The Davao City lawmaker has expressed concern over continuous logging operations in Mindanao after flashfloods and landslides, triggered by a series of storms, struck most parts of Luzon last week.
The disaster, which killed more than 1,500 people, was blamed on continuous logging operations in the country's largest island.
Nograles cited the wanton cutting of trees by a logging company within the 26,000 hectares of forestlands in the boundary of Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon.
He said he received reports that Timber Industries of the Philippines Inc. (Tipi) has been cutting down trees "like there is no tomorrow" in these forest areas.
In the wake of this development, he urged the DENR to look "into this with utmost urgency."
He said Tipi is not abiding with the provisions of its Timber License Agreement (TLA) because it appears that it has been cutting down trees beyond the limits set by the government.
According to Nograles, the 26,083-hectare Wao-Bumbaran timberland is considered as the "crown jewel" of Southern Philippines because apart from its rich mineral deposits, the commercial value of its wood resources amount to billions of pesos.
(December 9, 2004 issue)
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