Charges vs Leyte poultry farm ‘false and misleading’ — lawyer

Leyte map

MANILA, Philippines — A Pasig City-based law office has dismissed as “false and misleading” allegations that a large poultry enterprise in Palompon, Leyte, has committed environmental and land violations.

The Valeña Law Office issued the observation even as the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) in Leyte has categorically denied having conducted an investigation into the purported environmental infractions by the DBSN Farms and Agriventures Corp. owned by the family of Palompon Mayor Ramon Oñate.

It appeared that the charges aired by the camp of Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez against the DBSN stemmed from a typical case of an error in the interpretation of PENRO’s statement that it has “no existing records for any permit applied for or application submitted by DBSN/DBSN Breeder Farm relative to any quarry operations in San Joaquin, Palompon, Leyte.”

“It is correct that DBSN does not have any such permit the reason being that they do not operate any quarry,” lawyer Arnel Victor Valeña explained.

He was referring to a certification issued by the PENRO ostensibly “upon request of a person in authority” regarding DBSN’s quarry permit.

Gomez’s media bureau quoted the PENRO certification out of context, alleging that the DBSN “has no permit to quarry or dig dumpsites to contain the wastes the farm produces in the area.”

“However, this person in authority is using this certification to mislead the public by making it appear that DBSN has a violation,” Valeña noted. According to him, a copy of the PENRO certification sent to his client indicated the name “Hon. R. Gomez.”

The counsel also sought to clarify another error in the questioned online news report stating that the DBSN was “reportedly” owned by local officials.

“DBSN is proudly owned by the Oñate family. They are not hiding this,” Valeña pointed out.

He also took exception to the actor-turned-politician’s claim that a House investigation found that the breeder farm has been burying its solid wastes in a dumpsite “illegally excavated” in Barangay San Joaquin.

“This is misleading. The investigation is still ongoing and we are not aware of any findings that have been made,” Valeña asserted.

He also referred to the flawed observation that the purported dumpsite was inside the protected Palompon Watershed and Forest Reserve.

“This is also false. There is no such dumpsite,” Valeña stressed.

The lawyer scored Gomez on the congressman’s call for the concerned House committee to “come up with a report and a conclusion” that the DBSN owners, along with alleged cohorts in the DENR, be charged for violating the Forestry Act and environmental management laws.

“This is again misleading. It speaks as if Rep. Gomez is correct. He is not. He is being disrespectful of the House committee by dictating the outcome of the ongoing investigation,” Valeña noted.

He also echoed his client’s earlier challenge to Gomez to file formal charges before the court, specifically the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Mayor Oñate is confident that any case filed at the Ombudsman will give him the venue to refute Rep. Gomez’s accusations and clear his name,” the lawyer said.

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