THE controversial Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort within the Chocolate Hills protected area in Bohol faces another legal challenge as the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) yesterday said it has no permit to use local water sources for its operations.
NWRB executive directors Ricky Arzadon said the resort neither has water rights nor did it apply for a permit to dig deep wells in the vicinity. .
“There was an investigation that was directed on that resort and I was given a copy of the investigation report. We found out that this resort is utilizing deep wells for their operations. (But) based on our records, they don’t have water rights nor any water use application. So, that’s an illegal utilization and extraction of water,” Arzadon told reporters at the sidelines of a corporate event in Muntinlupa City.
“I had to immediately issue a cease and desist order (CDO),” Arzadon said, stressing that that operators of the resort extracted deep wells without proper permits.
The NWRB chief said such move is a criminal offense and may warrant penalties against the owners of the Bohol resort.
Arzadon said the resort owners have 15 days upon receipt of the CDO to submit their explanation on the issue of illegal extraction of water resources before the NWRB decides whether to file criminal charges or not against them.
The CDO was issued on Tuesday. Azardon said it has yet to be served against the resort owners as of yesterday.
A cease-and-desist order was issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) against the controversial Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort in the municipality of Sagbayan, Bohol.
Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga on Friday said she has ordered the indefinite closure of Captain’s Peak resort for violation of the Environmental Impact Assessment law, which prohibits the construction of structures without an Environment Clearance Certificate (ECC) from the department.
Last week, the management of the Captain’s Peak resort announced it was temporarily shutting down amid a public uproar over its operations.
The resort operator’s move was made after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ordered the Bohol Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer to inspect the resort and check its compliance with the temporary closure order issued in September 2023.
