Lawyer accused of land grabbing, tree cutting

A cease-and-desist order was issued to stop the cutting of trees within a disputed property in barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City occupied by lawyer Briccio Boholst. (CDNPHOTO/NORMAN V. MENDOZA)

FORMER Mandaue City administrator Briccio Boholst has been accused by an uncle of land grabbing and cutting trees without a permit within the disputed property.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 ordered Boholst to stop cutting trees. A cease-and-desist order against Boholst was issued by the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) on November 18, following a site inspection that showed  several trees within the property have been cut allegdly to clear land for Boholst to build a residence.

“I already asked him (Boholst) to submit his explanation on why he will not be charged for violation of the law,” CENR Officer Forester Raul Pasoc said in a telephone interview.

Boholst denied that he cut the trees inside the  2,400-square-meter lot in barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City.

“I was surprised when I was informed that trees were cut inside that lot,” he told CDN by phone.

Boholst said his caretaker cut down ipil-ipil and coconut trees in the area“but I didn’t ask him to do it.”

Boholst said he’s looking into the matter.

He said his late law firm partner Amelie Alegre applied for a permit to cut trees on his behalf before the DENR last June 2015.

Alegre was shot dead in a road ambush that left Boholst and their accountant wounded in barangay Looc last August.

“That permit is still being processed. That’s why I didn’t know that trees were actually being cut there,” Boholst said.

Boholst said he purchased the lot from his uncle Mario Cabahug, son of the late Alfredo Cabahug, Sr.

But Cabahug said his family had no intention of selling the property.

He said they were made to sign a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) by Boholst, who later gave them a sum of money. Thinking that the sum was freely given by Boholst, Cabahug said they accepted it.

He said he will revoke the SPA because Boholst was not transparent with them.

Cabahug also questioned why Boholst used a separate tax declaration for the property to support the application for a tree cutting permit.

The property is covered by Tax Declaration No. 2006-021-00647. It was acquired by Cabahug’s late father Alfredo from Alberto Cabahug.

Based on CENRO’s inspection, there were 31 Ipil-ipil trees and 29 naturally growing trees in the property.

CENRO had endorsed Boholst’s request to cut some trees, provided that only non-premium species will be felled and other requirements should be complied with.

These included an authenticated copy of the land title with approved sketch map, barangay certification interposing no objection to the development of the property, and Private Land Timber Permit.