Raps eyed vs. officials, entities for alleged illegal activities in Rizal protected watershed areas

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Wednesday said it recommended the filing of charges against government officials and private entities over alleged illegal activities in protected areas in Rizal.

In a statement, the DILG said it already sent the recommendation to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force (AILTF).

These officials and private individuals will face charges for the illegal entry, illegal logging, and encroachment of a private resort and other infrastructure within the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL).

Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said local offices confirmed illegal cutting of trees and slash and burn activities in some 16 hectares and illegal constructions by GSB Resort along the road and waterways.

“What is also appalling and alarming is the large-scale cutting of trees and kaingin activities covering more than 16 hectares in multiple sections of UMRBPL,” Malaya said.

“Several new structures were also erected in the areas where the trees were burned,” he added.

A portion of the site of burned trees is now occupied by private entities which have installed armed guards in the area without any legal authority, according to Malaya.

These are violations of the Upper Marikina Protected Landscape Declaration,  the National Integrated and Protected Areas System Act (NIPAS), the Revised Forestry Code, the Water Code of the Philippines, and the DENR DAO 1993-33 (Masungi Strict Nature Reserve & Wildlife Sanctuary).

The recommendation came after the Masungi Georeserve Foundation wrote a letter to the DILG to seek its assistance on the alleged entry and incursion by GSB Resort in the protected area.

According to the DILG, the resort is owned by Arnel Olitoquit and Jay Sambilay.

“Despite repeated warnings from the government, these establishments continue to build infrastructure in the area. This is detrimental to the country’s environmental preservation initiatives, not to mention our COVID-19 response," Malaya said.

GMA News Online contacted GSB Resort but has not received a reply as of posting time.

Show-cause order

Earlier, the DENR Rizal already issued a show-cause order to the owners for maintaining a private mini-resort in the area in violation of the NIPAS Act even without a permit from the Baras government.

“Section 20 of the NIPAS Act prohibits the construction or maintenance of any structure, fence, or enclosures and conduct of any business enterprise without a permit within protected areas,” the DILG said.

“Violations will incur a fine of not less than P5,000 to not more than P500,000, or imprisonment of no less than one year to no more than six years, or both as determined by the court,” it added.

'Trial by publicity'

In a May 31 post on its Facebook account, however, GSB Farm decried the "trial by publicity" due to the allegations thrown at them.

"Ang amin pong farm ay isang maliit na kabuhayan na malayo sa kung anong imaheng ipinalalabas nila sa mga serye ng trial by publicity na nagsilabasan kamakailan," it said.

(Our farm is a small means of livelihood far from what is being portrayed in a series of trial by publicity which came out recently.)

GSB Farm added that it has replied to DENR's show-cause order.

"Kami po ay sumagot sa show-cause order ng DENR kung saan ang isa po sa mga hinihingi nila sa amin ay ang clearance mula sa Protected Area Management Board (PAMB)," it said.

(We already replied to the show-cause order of the DENR wherein one of the things they asked of us is a clearance from the PAMB.)

"Nitong May 6, 2021, nagsubmit kami ng mga application para sa clearance ng PAMB at ng National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)," GSB Farm said.

(Last May 6, 2021, we submitted an application for the clearance of PAMB and the NCIP.)

"Idineklara pong protected area ang aming kinatatayuan noong 1992 pero kami ay naninirahan sa Sitio San Roque mula pa noong 1979," it added.

(The location has been declared a protected area in 1992 but we have been living in Sitio San Roque since 1979.)

—With a report from Jon Viktor Cabuenas and Ted Cordero/KG, GMA News