JUST two days before Boracay Island is to be closed for a six-month, state-led rehabilitation effort, the interagency Task Force Boracay has yet to reveal the names of the violators and government executives that will be charged for abetting violations on the popular resort destination.
Former Tourism Secretary Narzalina Z. Lim told the BusinessMirror that “the government [has to] publish a complete list of violators. The public has to know what sanctions will be imposed on them, especially the DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources] and LGU [local government unit] officials who allowed developments on wetlands and forest areas.”
She said there were LGU and DENR officials “who gave permits to build and sell forest land” and, thus, should be held accountable.
This call for transparency was echoed by Jose Clemente III, president of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines. “As early as the announcement of the possible closure of Boracay, we [tourism stakeholders] were already asking for the list of violators. It was even requested by the senators during the Senate hearing in Boracay on March 2, but, for some reason, they were not given the list.”
He noted, “Whether the interagency task force was still validating the list or not, it was certain that they must have already known of properties that were in violation. Otherwise, these properties would not have started self-repairs and self-demolitions.”
Interior Assistant Secretary for Plans and Programs Epimaco V. Densing III said his agency should be filing the administrative cases against LGU officials soon. “Our legal team was told to consolidate the administrative cases,” he said in a text message.
He told the this paper earlier that the administrative sanctions will cover local officials who were in office starting 2008. (See, “Compliant resorts can remain open during Boracay closure but…”, in the BusinessMirror, March 26, 2018.)
He added that the list of DENR officials found liable for abetting violations of establishments on Boracay “has been turned over to the DENR.” The latter is expected to make its own investigation into these errant officials and file cases against them.
As this developed, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, a unit under the Department of National Defense, met on Monday afternoon and approved the first step in closing Boracay. In a text message, DOT Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Frederick M. Alegre said: “The NDRRMC approved [yesterday] afternoon the declaration of the state of calamity. It is being forwarded to Duterte [for approval].”
He added, “The President will definitely have to issue the declaration before Thursday,” or April 26, the closure date of Boracay.
The state of calamity declaration will pave the way for some P2 billion in calamity funds to be released from government coffers, which are meant to alleviate the loss of incomes of the island’s workers who are certified residents of the island.
The state of calamity declaration also allows the Task Force to push its rehabilitation of Boracay, unimpeded by the normally tedious government bidding procedures, its members averred.
So far, Task Force Boracay, composed of the DENR, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of Tourism, has spoken only in generalities of the number of establishments that have violated easement and environment laws.
In previous news conferences, the Task Force announced that 11 unnamed establishments were found to have illegally connected to the rainwater drainage pipe of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority. These establishments were found using said pipe to carry their untreated waste and refuse out to Bulabog Beach, raising the coliform bacteria levels beyond normal acceptable standards.
The DENR, on February 14, had also ordered the closure of 51 establishments for various violations of the solid-waste management law and land-use regulations, but failed to name them.
In other news briefings, the Task Force mentioned anywhere from 600 to 900 establishments that had supposedly violated the same laws on Boracay.
Densing has said inspection teams composed of representatives from the DILG, DENR, Bureau of Fire Protection and LGUs have been formed to check on all establishments on the island to see if they have relevant documents and permits to operate. (See, “Only 6 of 110 Boracay establishments have fire-safety permits, DILG says,” in the BusinessMirror, April 23, 2018.)
Image credits: Contibuted Photo