The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) found out that only a barangay captain served as chairperson of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) when it issued a resolution allowing a resort development in the vicinity of Chocolate Hills in Sagbayan town, Bohol. 

DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos confirmed that the chairman from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was not present during the proceedings, according to a report of GMA Integrated News.

“Noong nakita ko itong resolution na ginawa, kung hindi ako nagkakamali, wala yung chairman ng DENR. Ang nag-chair ay isang barangay captain. Kaya naipasa itong tungkol sa Captain’s Peak,” he said in a press conference after his ocular inspection of Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort on March 21, 2024.

The organizational structure of PAMB, according to Abalos, includes a head from DENR, a governor, three district representatives, 65 barangay captains, and other representatives from different agencies.

The DILG created a task force to look into the possible accountability of local government officials in the construction of Captain’s Peak Resort inside the protected area of Chocolate Hills, a UNESCO-designated global geopark, the report added.