Written by
Arlie O. Calalo
Monday, 25 March 2013 00:00 [
tribune.net.ph ]
The
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has warned the public
against buying tracts of land in areas covered by the government’s
agro-forestry program, saying these are public forest lands that are inalienable
or could not be disposed of.
In a
statement e-mailed to The Tribune, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary
Ramon Paje issued the warning after authorities have discovered a massive
land-fraud scheme involving an Antipolo City-based group selling lands located
within the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL), which was
declared a protected area by virtue of Proclamation 296 signed by President
Aquino in 2011.
Formerly
known as the Marikina Watershed Reservation, the UMRBPL is a 26,126-hectare
protected area covering the upper reaches of the Marikina watershed in the
province of Rizal, flowing through Antipolo City and the towns of Baras,
Rodriguez, San Mateo and Tanay.
“Any part of
a proclaimed protected area is classified as public forestland and could not be
in any manner disposed of, much less sold as a titled property,” Paje said.
The new land
scam has come to public attention after a television investigative program
featured Vanguard for Resourcefulness and Self-Reliance Livelihood and Housing
Foundation Inc. (VRS Foundation), which was reportedly involved in the selling
of lands within the UMRBPL.
In an
entrapment operation held last Feb. 20 at the group’s office in Antipolo City,
VRS Foundation officer Juanito Sta. Maria was arrested after receiving marked
money from a DENR asset, who posed as buyer of a real property being sold by
the foundation.
The operation
was carried out by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the
Philippine National Police and the DENR led by Assistant Secretary for Internal
Audit and Anti-Corruption Daniel Nicer.
Further investigations revealed that VRS Foundation
was also engaged in buying certificates
of stewardship contracts from upland farmers taking part in DENR’s Integrated Social Forestry Program and would
use these CSCs as bases to resell plots of lands in the guise of “transfer of
rights.”
Started in
the 1980s, ISFP grants a 25-year stewardship contract to qualified forest
occupants, allowing them to settle and till the upland areas; in return they
agree to protect and reforest these lands.
However, Paje
said that under the ISFP regulations CSCs cannot be assigned or transferred
without permission from the DENR secretary. “Rights to ISF areas cannot be
transferred, sold or even titled; more so if they are inside protected areas.”
Paje called
on all other victims to come forward and file charges against the foundation,
urging them to report to Nicer’s office any unlawful sale of public land,
especially those involving DENR people.
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