A CONSTRUCTION company in Barangay Tingub, Mandaue City is facing complaints for allegedly cutting mangroves planted in Plaridel interior, which is part of Barangay Paknaan.
Maria Priscilla Melendres, a resident of La Guardia, Lahug in Cebu City, filed a complaint against BNR Construction and Development Corp., for allegedly violating Sections 77 and 78 of Presidential Decree 705 that involves the illegal cutting and destruction of forestland.
Melendres filed the case on May 31, 2023 before the Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office.
The complainant said she decided to bring a lawsuit against BNR Construction after seeing the mangroves cut down on Nov. 17, 2022. The area where the mangroves were cleared is not far from the land she owns there.
The mangrove trees were destroyed and cleared as a result of using three backhoes to move earth, according to Melendres.
Melendres, in her affidavit submitted to the prosecutor in compliance with her complaint, said the digging continued until last February.
She said BNR Construction again started clearing land last April.
In the course of her research, Melendres said she discovered that the construction firm did not have an earth balling permit for mangroves or a special land use permit from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office.
Melendres also said the construction company was hired by the Mandaue City Government to expand the water channel along Butuanon River.
Members of the media attempted to contact BNR Construction to get their side on the issue, but the landline number shown on their Facebook page could not be reached.
Harassment
Meanwhile, lawyer Julius Caesar Entise of the Mandaue City Government described Melendres’ complaint against BNR Construction as harassment.
Entise also questioned Melendres about the exclusion of the Mandaue City Government from her complaint, given that it was the government that hired the construction company to work in the area to address the flooding issue.
Entise said Melendres was just harassing the construction company because it is quite clear that they have not damaged the mangroves in the area.
According to Entise, they have complete documents and permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, including the earth balling of the affected mangroves. (HIC, BBT / TPT)