A BARANGAY captain from Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City was charged before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for allegedly cutting mangroves and developing a fishpond without a permit.
Gregorio Sagarino filed a complaint against Tungasan Barangay Captain Trifonia Abayan for grave abuse of authority and conduct unbecoming of a public officer.
In his affidavit, Sagarino said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources gave 15,000 seedlings for him to plant along the Tungasan shore.
He said his wife’s relative later informed him about the mangroves being cut down by unidentified persons last October.
He reported the incident to DENR personnel assigned in Olango Island.
Sagarino said they went to the area and caught 10 persons in the act of cutting mangroves.
The DENR personnel asked a certain Perlito Sagarino who ordered them to cut the mangroves.
Perlito replied that it was Abayan, but the latter denied this in a radio interview.
Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer Anastacio Cabalejo wrote Abayan and asked her to stop cutting the mangroves.
But Sagarino alleged that Abayan continued with the illegal activity.
Under the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines, a person is prohibited from cutting, collecting and gathering of timber and other forest products without permit.
The law also prohibits the unlawful occupation or destruction of forest lands and grazing lands. (KAL)