A RESOLUTION has been filed at the House of Representatives calling for a congressional investigation into the establishment of the infamous Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort within the Chocolate Hills protected area in Bohol.
Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) party-list Reps. Erwin Tulfo, Edvic Yap, and Jocelyn Tulfo, along with Quezon City Rep. Ralph Wendel Tulfo and Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, yesterday filed House Resolution (HR) No. 1652 urging the Committee on Natural Resources to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the construction and operation of the resort, which is located within the world heritage site in Sagbayan, Bohol.
The resolution zeroes in on the resort owner’s claim that they were able to secure proper permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the local government unit of Sagbayan town.
“According to the administrator of Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort, the construction thereof underwent the proper processes and even the approval and favorable endorsement from the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB) of the [DENR],” the resolution said.
“A business permit was likewise secured from the Sagbayan Municipal Hall without an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), which was even renewed as recent as January 9 of this year, under the presumption that the resort had all the proper accreditation,” it added.
“There is an utmost need to ensure that the natural monuments and UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Philippines are preserved, maintained, and protected at all times as against any and all private interests,” the resolution said.
The resolution said the construction of the resort within the famed tourist destination “raises serious concerns on possible avenues for the circumvention of laws and issuances on building, business, and environmental permits, certifications, or licenses in the guise of tourism or economic development.”
It cited Proclamation No. 1037 of July 1997 declaring Chocolate Hills as a “natural monument and restrained inappropriate exploitation there at, regardless of private rights therein, in order to maintain its natural beauty.”
It likewise stressed that Chocolate Hills is protected and integrated into the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) under Republic Act No. 7586, as amended, which prohibits “mutilating, defacing, or destroying objects of natural beauty, or objects of interest to cultural communities,” as well as “constructing of maintaining any kind of structure, fence or enclosures, conducting any business enterprise without a permit.”
“May mananagot dito, kailangang may managot dito (Someone will be held accountable here. Someone has to be held accountable here),” Rep. Erwin said after filing the resolution.
“Hayagang pangbabastos ito sa ating likas na yaman. Ang tanong dito ay paano pinayagan at sino ang pumayag na maipatayo ang isang resort sa lugar na dapat ay ating pino-protektahan (This is an outright exploitation of our natural resources). The question here is how and who allowed the construction of a resort in a place we should be protecting),” said the former broadcaster.
The controversial resort became viral after a photo of it circulated on various social media platforms, showing swimming pools, slides, cottages, and other buildings constructed in the area.
Last week, Rep. Arlene Brosas filed HR No. 1648 calling for a House inquiry into the construction of the resort.
