Probe sought of mangrove tree cutting

LUCENA CITY – The Quezon environment and natural resources office (Quezon-Enro) urged an investigation of the cutting of mangrove trees in Agdangan, Quezon, that were said to be more than 100 years old.

Darwin Combalicer, Quezon-Enro staffer, who initially investigated the cutting in Barangay Sildora, said the administrative culpability of some Agdangan local officials should be investigated.

In his May 2 report to Romulo Edano, Quezon-Enro officer-in-charge, Combalicer asked help from government agencies for a joint investigation of the cutting of the mangrove trees which he said could have happened two years ago based on stumps left and recent improvements in the area.

“An area consisting of more than 20 hectares, a major part of which has been recently developed into a fishpond, was previously dominated by mangrove species,” said Combalicer in his report.

Manny Calayag, community affairs officer of Quezon-Enro, said during inspection of the area, some people were seen in the distance hauling newly cut trees.

On April 24, Arsenio Tanchuling, executive director of nongovernment organization Tambuyong Development Center, wrote Reynulfo Juan, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) director for Calabarzon, to express alarm over the mangrove-cutting.

In his letter, Tanchuling said the cutting of the mangroves in the fishpond owned by former Agdangan Mayor Carmelito Legaspi, also occurred during Earth Day celebration on April 22.

Tanchuling said the Fishpond Lease Agreement (FLA) on the fishpond area covering 25 hectares were already canceled by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

Lawyer Asis Perez, BFAR chief, confirmed cancelation of FLA in the area. “There should be no more existing private fishponds in the area. Even if the FLA still exists and is valid, the fishpond operator is not allowed to cut mangrove unless permitted by the DENR,” Perez said by phone.

The head of the DENR office in Pagbilao, Quezon, which has jurisdiction over Agdangan town, denied there was illegal cutting of mangroves in the area.

“The report of mangrove-cutting was exaggerated,” said Alfredo Palencia, DENR-community environment and natural resources officer, in a phone interview.