Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado announced on May 28, 2024 that the Ombudsman has placed him and 68 other officials under preventive suspension for six months in line with the investigation into structures at the Chocolate Hills, a protected area and a global geological park.
Aumentado, in a video posted on the official social media page of the Provincial Government of Bohol, said that he learned of the Ombudsman order in the morning of May 28, 2024.
“Ako ug laing 68 ka opisyales nag-atubang og sumbong resulta sa pagkatukod sa Captain’s Peak Resort sa Sagbayan ug mga questionable nga gipangtukod sa Chocolate Hills National Monument. Ang imbestigasyon nagpadayon sa Senado ug sa Kamara. Sakit man palandongon nga mao kini ang nahitabo, atong iampo sa Kahitas-an ang makatarunganon ug makiangayon nga kasulbaran niining tanan,” Aumentado said.
The governor enumerated that the other suspended officials are regional directors, department heads, mayors, and punong barangays.
He called on Capitol workers to continue serving the people with dignity, integrity, dedication, and honesty.
“I shall return,” the governor said.
STRUCTURES AT GEO-PARK
Earlier, resort development at the site of Chocolate Hills, regarded a tourism signature of Bohol, received a backlash.
A viral video of a resort in Sagbayan town situated between haycock hills, popularly referred to as Chocolate Hills, drew flak from netizens.
The video log (vlog) dated March 6, 2024 went viral as netizens mentioned that the construction of the resort in the area in 2023 was already met with criticism. Netizens pointed out that the commercial development is done within a protected area, a UNESCO Heritage Site, and a declared geo-park.
While most of the 1,776 haycock hills are found in Carmen town where the UNESCO marker is also mounted, the hills are spread out in neighboring towns such as Sagbayan, Sierra Bullones, and Batuan.
VIRAL SINCE 2023
A Provincial Board member earlier expressed that with the way the issue has gone viral again, she surmised that nothing has really been done six months after an investigation on the alleged illegal structure nestled at the vicinity of Chocolate Hills.
Atty. Jamie Aumentado Villamor, chairman of the PB Committee on Environment, said that the Board has already sent a request to DENR to hold the commercial development in abeyance.
Villamor stressed that in September 2023, the Bohol DENR-Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) ordered a stop to the construction of structures.
However, an investigation was launched by her committee based on reports of continued construction of a swimming pool, water slides, and cottages at Captain's Peak Resort.
An investigation was further carried out on other structures in Carmen town built within the national monument.
