Davide: Need to ‘strike a balance’ in Argao conflict

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III said he will try to resolve the conflict between the Argao town mayor and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 over the alleged illegal cutting of close to 400 trees for a mountain access road.

“I’m willing to sit down with the mayor and DENR. From there, maybe we can talk and strike a balance between development and the protection of our environment,” he told reporters.

The governor, who hails from Argao town, said he expects a positive response from the DENR 7 since their top official, Regional Executive Director Isabelo Montejo and the town’s environment officer, Flordeliza Geyrozaga, are also from Argao.

Argao town went to court and applied for an injunction against the DENR, naming Environment Secretary Ramon Paje and other agency officials respondents in the civil case.

The petition of Argao Mayor Edsel Galeos was prepared by Provincial Legal Officer Orvi Ortega.
Ortega’s participation in the legal action raised the question of whether the Capitol had already taken sides with Argao municipality in the case filed before the Regional Trial Court in Argao town seeking to lift the cease-and-desist order issued by the DENR CENRO in Argao.

Davide said he would leave it to the courts to decide.

The governor said he was able to talk to Mayor Galeos about the dispute but hasn’t seen the area in barangay Jampang, where a two-kilometer access road is being built.

“I understand that a complaint has been filed against the mayor. That is why he has to answer the complaint from the DENR. From what the mayor told me, they were constructing a farm-to-market road. We’ll just wait for the case. I don’t want to speculate on the outcome,” he said.

Davide said theres “a need to strike a balance” between protection of the environment while, “On the other hand, the number of people in a place continues to grow. With it comes their needs so we have to offer them service and make developments to fill the gap.”

He said that in delivering basic services,”sometimes you have to disturb the environment.”
“For example, if you need water, one has to dig and make a well or a reservoir in an area, which will be affected. We have to conduct consultations.”

The DENR has filed a complaint against the Argao mayor before the Ombudsman for the Visayas for illegal destruction of trees in violation of the Forestry Reform Code or Presidential Decree 705.

Last March 21, the DENR community environment officer of Argao ordered the town to stop cutting trees in its road project since it falls within a timberland area and DENR’s National Greening Program (NGP) plantation in sitio Binalabag, barangay Jampang.

The two-kilometer road was half finsihed when the stop order was issued.

Galeos said the project has been a long standing request from Jampang officials since the people in the area endure a three-kilometer walk every day just to get to the nearest water source.

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