BAGUIO City Mayor Benjie Magalong said the “murder” of pine trees in Legarda Road have triggered a wider awareness in taking care of remaining green patches in the city.
Magalong said tight monitoring will be done on all tree cutting permits in the city.
“The (Legarda) trees have triggered awareness that this is not only happening in that area,” Magalong said.
The mayor earlier acted on a complaint sent to his office of the deliberate “killing” of 45 pine trees inside the private property of Gateluck Incorporated.
Magalong personally investigated the property owned by Jasper Golangco of Gateluck and found 45 fully grown trees were intentionally and slowly being killed after seeing holes drilled at the base of each tree where a salt-like mixture was administered, believed to lead to the death of the trees.
The neophyte mayor said chemical analysis tests came back and confirmed the deliberate administration of “kalburo” to induce death of the pine trees.
The city has filed a case with 45 counts of violation of the environmental code while the DENR will reportedly file a separate case.