DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 15 October) — Trekkers and other individuals should observe ordinances and laws governing protected areas “regardless of power and position,” an environment group, reacting to a viral photo showing city councilor Bernard Al-ag trekking to Battlefield Tagurano, a strict protection one (SPZ) at the Mt. Apo Natural Park (MANP), said.
In a now-deleted post on Facebook by the private group Davao Running Community on Sunday, a Facebook user bared it was Al-ag who trekked to the temporarily closed area, together with his wife Cherry Ann, and other trekkers.
In a statement sent to media Tuesday afternoon, the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) confirmed that Battlefield Tagurano is an SPZ covered by a cease and desist order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) dated April 29.
The CDO suspends the encroachment of establishments there based on the inspection done by the department, MANP-Protected Area Management Office, park rangers, Bantay Bukid, Barangay Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR), and other agencies.
IDIS said the CDO also prohibits trekking and hiking.
“Hence, all people, regardless of power and position, should adhere to local ordinances and national laws. We must be the role models of the citizens in following the laws,” it said.
On May 7, Barangay Tagurano approved a resolution temporarily closing the Tagurano upland areas following DENR-11’s CDO.
In a statement posted Sunday afternoon, Tagurano’s barangay council condemned an unidentified city councilor who apparently ignored their barangay resolution by trekking to Battlefield Tagurano.
“Misaka kini sa Battlefield ug wala naminaw sa pahimangno sa Purok Leader nga nakig-istorya kanila. Kini nga opisyal adunay mga kauban nga hiker ug kini wala nakig-istorya sa barangay bago miadto sa area (He went to Battlefield Tagurano and did not listen to the Purok Leader’s warnings. This official went with other hikers and did not communicate with the barangay before heading to the area),” the statement read.
When asked to comment on the incident, Al-ag said he went there for a “consultation” with the locals to know what has happened five months after the DENR’s CDO.
He also said the CDO only “prohibited establishments to operate,” not the entry to the national park.
He emphasized that the starting point of the road going to Battlefield Tagurano is a private property, while the national park is under DENR’s jurisdiction, thus “owned by the public.”
“Dili ko nila [Barangay Tagurano] mapugngan, opisyal man ko sa gobyerno, mokonsulta man ko sa tao, and then gibasa nako ang closure order (The barangay cannot stop me as I am a government official, I went there to consult the people. I also read the closure order), the closure order is just for the establishments and for the illegal structures,” Al-ag told reporters Tuesday morning.
He said he learned from the people during his “consultation” that they are “having a difficult time” because of the closure, with most of them “having low income.”
“Dili man ka makaabot didto ug magkonsulta ug dili ka mag trek kay dili man na maabot og sakyanan (You could not go there to consult the people if you won’t trek because no vehicle can reach there). Of course, you have to use your trekking gear, so mosuroy ta didto, apil na konsultasyon sa tao (so if we go there, that would include consulting the people),” Al-ag added.
He said that after his visit he would suggest that local and national agencies should work together to protect the environment and eventually open the trail so the public can enjoy the area.
IDIS said Davao City’s two protected areas, namely the MANP and the Malagos Watershed Reserve, play “essential roles in ecological balance and safeguarding various endangered species” within the city.
Al-ag served as a vice mayor from January 18, 2018 to June 30, 2019, following Paolo Duterte’s resignation last December 25, 2017 due to “family problems.”
Al-ag is seeking the vice mayoralty seat with former Civil Service Commission chair Karlo Nograles as his running mate. They will challenge the father-son tandem of former President Rodrigo Duterte and incumbent Mayor Sebastian Duterte.
Al-ag’s wife is running for first district councilor for the first time. The Al-ags are running as independent candidates, just like the Nograleses. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
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