Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort in inside world-famous Chocolate Hills in Sagbayan, Bohol (Photo from LEO UDTOHAN)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will look into the accountability of local government units (lgus) in the construction of a resort within the Chocolate Hills in Bohol.
DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. also said in a statement that “should there be neglect of duty or any other irregularity on the part of the officials tasked with protecting and overseeing the area, we will not hesitate to pursue appropriate legal actions.”
READ: Probe sought on resort amid Chocolate Hills
He also noted that lgus are stewards of nature, and under the local government code, they have the authority to give people a balanced ecology.
“If illegal construction was allowed within a protected area, this would fall gravely short of this responsibility,” Abalos said.
READ: Chocolate Hills resort not accredited by DOT
The now-viral Captain’s Peak Resort, situated inside the Chocolate Hills, has garnered backlash from the public as it was built in the middle of the famed tourist attraction.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources said on Wednesday that it had already issued a temporary closure order against the resort in September 2023.
A Notice of Violation to the project proponent was also sent last January 22, it added.
Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism also clarified in a separate statement that the resort has neither accreditation nor an application for one.
Senator Nancy Binay, who is also the chairperson of the Senate committee on tourism, sought an inquiry into the construction of structures within the vicinity of the Chocolate Hills.