Mayors of Bohol support suspended governor

By: Leo Udtohan – 28 mins ago

Erico Aristotle Aumentado —PHOTO FROM THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF BOHOL

TAGBILARAN CITY – The chairman of the League of Mayors in Bohol province said that while local authorities respect the Ombudsman’s decision to suspend Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado and 68 others for six months in connection with the construction of a resort in Chocolate Hills, he finds the punishment “severe.”

President Carlos P. Garcia and Mayor Fernando Estavilla, chairman of the Bohol chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), said the group is organizing a prayer rally to show its support for Aumentado and the other suspended people.

“We respect the Ombudsman’s decision. However, we are dismayed by the severity of the sanction,” said Estavilla.

“Let us make noise. A voice praying for Bohol, for the love of Bohol,” he said.

On social media, several Boholanos showed their support for Aumentado by replacing their profile photos on Facebook with the letter “A” in green, the governor’s political color.

In its latest order, the Anti-Corruption Office said the operation of Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort in Barangay Canmano, Sagbayan town was permitted even without the required environmental impact assessment, environmental impact certificate and special use agreement in protected areas of the Environmental Management Office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

In addition to Aumentado, eight incumbent mayors were also given a six-month preventive suspension: Restituto Suarez III (Sagbayan), Antonino Jumawid (Batuan), Elizabeth Pace (Catigbian), Eugeniano Ibarra (Clarin), Norman Palacio (Bilar), Michael Doria (Sierra Bullones), Dionisio Neil Balite (Valencia) and Conchita Toribio-delos Reyes (Carmen).

Estavilla expressed his sadness over the decision, which he described as “serious.”

He said the LMP would provide legal assistance to mayors who wanted to file a petition asking the Ombudsman to reconsider his decision. In addition to Aumentado and the mayors, 31 village heads and six village council members were also affected by the suspension.

No direct involvement

Aumentado said he did not plan to appeal the order, but insisted that the provincial government was not directly involved in issuing the permits or licenses to operate Captain’s Peak Resort.

According to Aumentado, neither the Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160), nor the National Building Code and other laws give the governor jurisdiction to issue building permits or business licenses.

The Chocolate Hills, one of the country’s geological wonders, consist of 1,776 cone-shaped hills of varying sizes located mainly in the towns of Bilar, Carmen, Batuan, Sierra Bullones and Sagbayan.

According to DENR, these are designated and protected under the Expanded National Integrated Areas Protected System Act (RA 7586), as amended by RA 11038.

Over the years, at least 500 facilities have been built in the areas of Chocolate Hills Natural Monument.

In 1997, then President Fidel V. Ramos declared the Chocolate Hills a natural monument with Presidential Decree No. 1037, thus ensuring their protection.