VIDEO. Councilor Dave Tumulak shows reporters segments of the footage taken by a closed-circuit television camera mounted on S. Osmeña Road.
You can watch the video, but you can’t have a copy – yet.
This was the answer of Cebu city government officials to critics on the non-release of footage of the city’s security cameras regarding the sudden disappearance of at least 79 trees in Sergio Osmena Road last month.
City Attorney Jerone Castillo yesterday invited the Department of Envrionment and Natural Resources, which is looking into the unauthorized removal of the trees, to view the video on Monday.
The DENR 7 is set to file charges against the private contractor WT Construction, which is rehabilitating the national road, for illegal cutting of trees on March 30.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the city was not trying to “obstruct justice” when the head of the Command and Control Center refused to release a copy of the video requested by DENR 7.
“It will be presented when the time comes. I hope they will not take it as a refusal to show. Of course we will show it at the proper time,” said the mayor, although he didn’t say when the right time would be.
To clear the air, Councilor Dave Tumulak yesterday brought reporters to the command and control center (C3) to view some footage of surveillance cameras mounted on the street.
Tumulak, head of the C3, showed footage taken from March 25 to 26 only.
There was no footage shown of actual cutting or uprooting or loading of trees by WT Construction equipemnt into a dumptruck as he had earlier described when the controversy broke out early April.
He earlier said the activity took place from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily .
Asked yesterday if he could show the night time footage, Tumulak declined, saying “ di maklaro kay ngitngit naman” (It isn’t clear because it was dark).
Lawyer Gloria Estenzo Ramos , co-founder of the Philippine Earth Justice Center Inc. wrote the mayor and members of the City Council on Thursday, saying the city had a duty to prevent the illegal destruction of trees and to go after the parties responsible.
She said the “refusal of the mayor to release the CCTV footage as requsted by DENR Reigon 7, can be construed as an obstruction of justice and giving unfavorable treatment to the possible offending party.”
Mayor Rama yesterday said the DENR is invited to conduct a “joint investigation” with the city.
“If they want, it can be a joint investigation. This will be better so that the same results will come out,” Rama said.
He earlier tasked the City Attorney to start the city’s own inquiry and call different parties to give them “due opportunity to explain.”
DENR 7 said it will send staff to City Hall on Monday to view the tapes.
“Our Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO), Anastacio Cabalejo, with Forest Management Services chief Raul Pasoc and forester Filemon Embalzado Jr. will view the video as offered by the Cebu City government Monday next week,” said DENR-7 spokesperson Eddie Llamedo.
The DENR-7 was not able to file the complaint against WT Construction yesterday afternoon, contrary to its earlier announcement.
“We are reviewing or evaluating the judicial affidavits to reinforce the case. As of now, our CENRO is executing a judicial affidavit,” Llamedo explainedproper time,” Rama said.
Tumulak yesterday showed reporters some CCTV footage of the operations in S. Osmeña from March 25 to 26 only.
At around 4:01 p.m. of March 25, the footage showed part of the center island still full of trees and plants. In another footage at around 6 a.m. the next day, March 26, the area was already cleared of trees and plants.
A March 26 footage also showed a WT Construction backhoe clearing and flattening the portion of the center island.
But Tumulak didn’t show footage of actual cutting and loading of trees into a dumptruck.
The daytime March 26-footage showed loaded blue and white dump trucks leaving the construction area and were northbound. They were covered with tarpaulin but a portion was visible.
It wasn’t clear what was inside because the video was not clear, but Tumulak claimed these were the trees already cut down.
However, ownership of the trucks remain uncertain as there were no visible markings. A plate number, GEY 540, was captured by the camera. Tumulak said it’s “clearly” owned by WT but he’s still checking the truck’s registration.