More than 100 trees cut despite stop order

Despite a cease-and-desist order, more than 300 trees were cut in barangay Talavera, Toledo City where a solar power plant is being built.

“There are around 725 trees in the area and it was confirmed that more than 300 trees were already cut,” said Raul Pasoc of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO).

Most of the downed trees  are in the same area where 982 trees were also cut last year.

Species like Tipolo, Pangantoon, Bangkal, Bagalunga, Lanutan, Acasia, Narra, Mahogany and Gmelina were chopped down, Pasoc said.

“There were no permits issued that they are allowed to cut another set of trees again,” he said.

Pasoc signed a cease-and-desist order in October 28 last year against the cutting of the trees.

“That CDO is still in effect especially since it is the same area where they cut the trees. They violated the cease-and-desist order that we issued,” he said.

CENRO also filed criminal charges last November against 21 board of directors (BODs) and key officers of three corporations at the Toledo City Prosecutor’s Office.

But the complaint was dismissed last week for insufficient evidence against the respondents.

Pasoc told reporters that no official document has been received by their office about the 982 felled trees.

“We are also considering if we could file the same case after another set of trees was cut. We are pursuing this legal battle even if it reaches the Supreme Court,” Pasoc told Cebu Daily News.