THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional office said it will file criminal charges against the contractor of the S. Osmeña road project today.
“We will file a case for the contractor’s violation of section 3, Presidential Decree No. 953, the illegal destruction or damage of planted trees against the officers of WT Construction Inc. tomorrow (today) at 10 a.m.,” DENR regional spokesman Eddie Llamedo said.
Seven respondents have been named in the case to be filed before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office including project-in-charge Adolfo Quiroga. The other six are officers of WT Construction.
Under Section 3 of Presidential Decree 953, any person who cuts, destroys, or damages planted trees of any kind along public roads, shall be punished with imprisonment of at least six months and not more than two years.
They can also be fined at least P500 to P5,000 at the discretion of the court.
Penalty
If the offender is a corporation, the penalty shall be imposed upon the officer or officers responsible for the offense.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama clarified that the Cebu City government still has to decide whether or not to require the contractor to pay for the trees.
Dr. Librado Macaraya, Cebu City Parks and Playgrounds Commission (CCPPC) executive director, proposed that the contractor just pay P1.7 million for the replacement of at least 88 trees at a cost of P15,000 to P20,000 each.
“The only stand of the city is that no one is above the law,” Rama said.
He said whoever is responsible should be prosecuted but evidence should be produced before the city files charges.
The City Council earlier requested the executive department and the City Legal Office (CLO) to file a case against the contractor in behalf of the city government since the city is an “indispensable party” to the case being tasked to care for the trees.
City Legal Officer Jerone Castillo said his office is still conducting an investigation.
“Whoever is at fault should be made to answer because there is a law and there have been violations made,” Rama said.