Sen. Nancy Binay. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Nancy Binay on Friday said authorities should not have allowed the establishment of a resort within the Chocolate Hills, a protected area since July 1, 1997, under Proclamation No. 1037.
Binay, who chairs the Senate Committee on Tourism, said heads should roll after learning that the construction process of Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort in Sagbayan town began six years ago.
“It is very clear that there were infractions and willful violations of law at all levels,” Binay said in a statement.
READ: Probe sought on resort amid Chocolate Hills
Unacceptable
“Someone should be made accountable for this,” said the senator who believed the extent of environmental degradation is simply unacceptable.
“Based on the documents, the Captain’s Peak application started in 2018, so we are wondering why the permits pushed through within six years and construction continued,” said Binay who believed these should not have been allowed in the first place.
The management of Captain’s Peak on Wednesday announced the resort’s interim shutdown after a public uproar questioning its location within a protected area.
2023 closure order
But the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said it had already issued a temporary closure order in September 2023.
READ: DENR: Closure order vs resort near Chocolate Hills issued Sept. 2023
However, Binay finds the DENR’s enforcement and imposed penalty lax. “So, we can see the enforcement is poorly thought out and the term ‘voluntary closure’ means ‘optional’, meaning the resort has a choice not to stop its operations,” Binay said.
“The temporary closure does not remedy anything or reverse damages done to the environment,” she added.