LA TRINIDAD Mayor Romeo Salda warned the public the case of the Puguis Communal Forest is not yet final.
Salda made the reaction following reports regarding certain individuals purportedly showing documents a final decision of the Puguis Forest Case was already out.
The mayor informed the public to refrain from buying portions of lot located within the Puguis Communal Forest with an area of 48.5892 hectares as per Joint Relocation Survey conducted by Department Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the local government unit.
Presiding Judge Melita Macaraeg of the MTC first judicial region of Benguet commissioned a group of surveyors and geodetic engineers in March following the a case filed against Pedro Isican for violating PD 705 as amended or the Forestry Code of the Philippines.
On March 27, the survey team convened for a meeting at the DENR regional office to discuss the result of the survey and to draft the output report to be submitted to the court. During the meeting Engineer Menhart Bayawa, representing Isican presented the survey plan which he had prepared himself.
“The survey commission apparently observed that Engr. Bayawa had already made-up his mind and had already decided to submit his separate report,” said the group of surveyors commissioned by the court.
On April 2, another meeting was held by the survey team at the municipal hall of La Trinidad to further review and discuss the contents. Members of the survey team did not agree with the contents of the report of Bayawa that led the team submitting a separate report.
The report was signed by a La Trinidad Engineering Office representative, and a DENR representative with chairman Mauricio Nead.
All members of the survey team except for Bayawa agree and confirm the plotting, computations, evaluation of the survey results reveals that the new structures of Isican representative of the Heirs of Tiotioen subject to the case are all inside Lot 2-B-9, Psd-1-05876 covered by T.C.T No. T-18487 now T.C.T No.016-20120012989 registered in the name of the republic of the Philippines.
“The communal forest being protected, conserve and maintained by residents of the municipality as such, is not subject to possession, ownership, sale, use or occupation by any private individual or group,” the report said.
Several findings and observation of the survey team in the separate report of Bayawa was found to be irregular, refutable and are not also in accordance to the directives of the court.
The team added the surveys are all approved in accordance with the requirements as provided in the Manual for Land Surveys in the Philippines.