DENR employee, driver ambushed in Castillejos

CASTILLEJOS, Zambales -- An employee of CENRO-DENR, Olongapo City and his driver were in critical condition when they were ambushed by two unidentified suspects riding in a motorcycle in Bgy. Nagbunga, this town, Wednesday afternoon.

The victims were identified as Arturo Galpo, 56, nursery farm supervisor, CENRO-DENR, Olongapo City and his driver, Eduardo Lachica, 63.

They sustained multiple gunshot wounds in their body from caliber 45 pistol and are being treated at the James Gordon Memorial Hospital in Olongapo City.

Report said at about 5:30 p.m., the victims were on their way home from their work in San Felipe, Zambales. Upon reaching Bgy. Nagbunga the riding in tandem suspects overtook their owner-type jeep (PAI-409) and peppered them with bullets.

The Zambales Police are still conducting investigation to identify the suspects. Mamer Bañez - journal.com.ph

13 trees illegally cut in Olongapo

Notwithstanding the controversy involving the planned cutting of trees inside Subic Bay Freeport to build a casino, thirteen (13) full-grown trees were cut and uprooted recently around the Olongapo City National High School (OCNHS) compound along 14th street and Rizal Avenue.
The tree-cutting contractor informed the Environmental Sanitation and Management Office (ESMO) personnel who inspected the site (after receiving reports from concerned citizens) that OCNHS Principal Helen Aggabao ordered the cutting of trees. The contractor however failed to present necessary permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the City Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) nor the Local Government Unit. The chainsaw used, a regulated tool in the Philippines, is not registered.
CENRO Atty Raul Mamac when asked if he issued permit to cut seven mango, three coconut, a duhat, avocado, eucalyptus, mahogany and two narra trees replied in the negative. In fact he will be issuing certification to that effect. He said that his office will gather witnesses' affidavits and evidences prior to filing case against the perpetuators. Among the possible charges that will be filed are the REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8048 or the Coconut Preservation Act of 1995, PD 705 or the Anti-Illegal Logging Law and the Chain Saw Act of 2002 (Chapter 11 of Environmental Law).

Meanwhile, OCNHS Alumnis, Environmental groups including the City Council are issuing statements of condemnation aside from holding mass actions to express dismay on Aggabao's disregard for the environment.

HI-TECH PRINTERS DALA NG UNIFIED LAND INFORMATION SYSTEM

Tumanggap ng mga hi-tech na printers mula kay Mayor James “Bong” Gordon, Jr. ang apat (4) na government offices nitong Lunes, ika-30 ng Hunyo sa Flag Raising Ceremony.

Personal na binigay ni Mayor Gordon sa Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) at Registry of Deeds (ROD), sa pamamagitan ng mga head nito na sina Atty. Raul Mamac at Atty. Emmanuel Aquino ang tig-isang unit ng HP printers samantalang tumanggap rin ng printer ang City Assessor’s Office at City Planning Office na may plotter (Hp designed T1100).

Ang mga nasabing printer ay dala ng grant sa Project on Unified Land Information Sytem(ULIS) sa inisyatibo ni Mayor Bong Gordon na nakuha sa Innovation Support Fund –Land Administration and Management Program 2 (ISF-LAMP2) na isa sa mga programa o tulong ng Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID).

Layunin ng ULIS na gawing uniform at pag-isahin ang mga impormasyon ukol sa pagtitulo ng lupa sa lungsod upang mapabilis ang access sa geographical information at mas maging mabilis ang land titling processing.
“Nagpapasalamat po ako kay Mayor Gordon sa mga printers na ito na gagamitin namin para ma-computerized natin ang mga files at records natin sa Registry of Deeds (ROD),” pahayag ni Atty. Aquino ng ROD.

“Asahan po ninyo na gagamitin namin ito para mas maging madali para sa mga mamamayan ng Olongapo ang pag-process ng kanilang papers regarding sa land titling,” mensahe ni Atty. Mamac ng CENRO.

Matatandaang isa sa mga programa ni Mayor Gordon ang mahikayat ang mga land owners sa Olongapo na patituluhan ang kanilang mga lupain para sa kanilang seguridad at mapakinabangan ito sa pagnenegosyo.

Hi-tech printers Dala ng Unified Land Information System (ULIS) Project. Tinanggap ni Atty. Raul Mamac, head ng City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) at Atty. Emmanuel Aquino ng Registry of Deeds (ROD) at ng City Assessors Office mula kay Mayor James “Bong” Gordon, Jr. kasama ang head ng City Planning na si Mareybeth Marzan ang mga Hp printers noong ika-30 ng Hunyo sa Rizal Triangle Multi-Purpose Center. Ang naturang mga printers ay nanggaling sa grant ng Unified Land Information System (ULIS).

PAO/MELAI

DENR clears mining firm of environmental violations raps

IBA, ZAMBALES—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the province has cleared Benguet Corp. (BC) from charges of environmental violations filed by Zambales officials.

Separate reports submitted by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (Penro), the Community Environment and Natural Resources (Cenro) and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) to the DENR regional office showed that the charges filed by Sta. Cruz Mayor Luisito Marty and Lomboy village chair Danilo Merced against Benguet Corp. were “unfounded.”

Earlier, Marty and Merced sought government intervention after they complained that the BC has been destroying the environment in its operations and disturbing local communities. They also filed the same complaint with Environment Secretary Lito Atienza.

Marty said the complaint was based on community leaders’ report in Barangays Lomboy and Guisguis that the activities had destroyed their farms, roads and other infrastructure.

Location

The provincial DENR’s findings, according to BC lawyer Reynaldo Mendoza, closely approximated the result of the investigation conducted earlier by the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) on the same complaint.

The PMRB, Mendoza said, recommended the case’s closure.

The DENR report said contrary to Merced’s allegations, the BC’s mining area is located in the villages of Guisguis and Guinabon, and not in Barangay Lomboy.

During a site inspection, village guards of Lomboy said the BC was not using barangay roads for their operations because the company was building its own haul road. Geodetic surveys showed that the road is in neighboring Barangay Guisguis.

The inspection team said no mining company had operated in Barangay Lomboy from December 2006 to March 2007 except A3UNA Mining Corp., which was found to be responsible for the dust and dirt pollution in the village. Cesar Villa, Inquirer Central Luzon