Alleged marginal note from Singson to spare Carcar trees
Singson (Inquirer File Photo)
Did he or didn’t he?
Activists fighting to save the century-old heritage trees from the chainsaws of government expressed elation yesterday after their intense lobbying has reportedly prompted Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson to order his men in Cebu late yesterday to back off and put an end to a standoff that saw “running priest” Fr. Robert Reyes climbing up a tree in the City of Naga on Tuesday to dramatize their cause.
No official from the regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways however, could confirm receipt of a written order from Singson.
Government offices in Cebu were shuttered yesterday, a special public holiday, to mark the 445th founding of the province.
“I am still in Negros. It´s a holiday today in Cebu. Haven´t receive any memo,” said DPWH regional director Ador Canlas in a text message to Cebu Daily News.
He earlier redirected inquiries sent to District Engineer Nicomedes Leonor, who was in-charge of the tree-cutting operations.
Leonor however, denied knowledge of an order from the DPWH secretary.
“The order should have reached RD (regional director). We´ll just wait for his orders,” he said.
Members of the Coalition to Save the Trees insisted late yesterday that Singson have given a written order.
An e-mail message from Patria Gwen M.L. Borcena of Greenresearch called on coalition members to call the DPWH officials – particularly Secretary Singson and Regional Director Canlas – to check if the tree-cutting at barangay Tinaan, City of Naga was discontinued.
A photograph of a clipping from Wednesday’s edition of the Philippine Daily Inquirer which shows a photograph of a canopy of trees along the national highway in Carcar City was attached to the e-mail message.
The row of acacia trees along the highway in barangay Perellos, Carcar City. (CDN FILE PHOTO/ TONEE DESPOJO)
Below the photograph taken by Cebu Daily News photo editor Tonee Despojo was a marginal note addressed to “RD Canlas” which says: “Let’s not widen this road in CARCAR even if we get LGU/DENR clearance. Let’s just improve shoulder and put loading bays and flaring of intersections.”
The initials that followed the note – which purportedly belongs to Singson – could not be independently ascertained as of last night.
Fr. Reyes, who chairs the National Coalition to Save the Trees, claimed he spoke to Singson in Manila yesterday morning and was able to convince him to order a halt to the cutting of trees.
“Secretary Singson called me up after he got reports from Cebu. The first thing he asked me was, ‘Father, whose job is to look at the state of health of the trees?’” he told CDN.
Two more trees were chopped down yesterday as the tree-cutting operations in barangay Tina-an resumed.
DPWH district engineer Leonor said the first one was cut down at 2:45 p.m. while the second one was cut past 4:30 p.m., said Leonor. At least four policemen were deployed in the area as the trees were being cut.
They also prevented residents from getting near and from taking cut branches for use as firewood.
Five trees were supposed to be cut yesterday while 77 more in neighboring San Fernando town are also due for cutting.
The DPWH meanwhile, has decided to schedule the tree-cutting operations at night so as not to heavily affect the flow of traffic along the national highway.
Motorists and commuters were greatly inconvenienced on the first day of operations last Tuesday as traffic crawled along the national highway in the City of Naga.
Leonor said the cutting of trees will be from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.
The DPWH earlier declined to conduct nighttime operation due to inadequate lighting which would compromise the safety of the workmen. Leonor said they were able to borrow lighting equipment from private contractors.
“We have already asked a contractor to lend us more than five lighting equipment. What we have to do now is to make sure they are in place by the time we need them,” he said.
At least 30 policemen will be deployed to secure the area and manage the traffic flow./with Reporter Jose Santino Bunchita
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Gov’t team to proceed with cutting Naga trees
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