Firm says it cleared land, not trees

One of those charged by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) with the illegal cutting of  982 trees in barangay Talavera, Toledo City denied taking part in the  destruction.

“Cutting of trees is not our responsibility. What our company handles  is the clearing of the area,” said Ulysses Bautista, vice president for operations of Sta. Clara International Corp.

About 21 members of the  board of directors (BOD) and key officers of three firms, a lot owner and a steward are facing criminal complaints filed by the regional DENR office at  the Toledo City Prosecutor’s office.

Aside from Sta. Clara International Corp., officials of Sunasia Energy Inc. (SEI) and First Toledo Solar Energy Corp. also face charges. DENR said the trees were cut without a tree-cutting permit.

They were charged with violating section 77 of Presidential Decree (PD) 705 or the revised forestry code of the Philippines.

The tree cutting started in September, said the DENR.

Bautista said his company  used a bulldozer and backhoe to clear  30 of the 50 hectares in barangay Talavera  in October.

“We mobilized on the assumption that everything was okay. We didn’t know where the trees are because it is their job to dispose of them. When we visited the site last Sept. 28, they were still cutting trees,” he said.

Bautista said they recorded 492 trees cut, not 982.

Sta. Clara’s application for a business permit from  the Toledo City government is also hanging after a cease-and-desist order (CDO) was signed by Community Environment and Natural

Resources Officer (CENRO) Raul Pasoc last October 28.

The order directed Sunasia Energy Inc. to immediately stop the further  cutting of trees since they had no permit.

“When there was a CDO, we stopped. We only entered after SEI is ready to deliver the lot or area free of trees,” Bautista told Cebu Daily News.

He said Sta. Clara International Corp. has 100 workers in the area.