A Bacolod court has ruled in favor of Barangay Sum-ag in an environmental case against resort owner Engr. Andres Tacolod, who was found guilty of illegally cutting mangrove trees and reclaiming land near the Sum-ag River.
The charges were filed by officials from Barangay Sum-ag after Tacolod began developing a dock for his resort in Barangay Pahanocoy.
According to the court’s decision, Tacolod violated Section 68 of Presidential Decree 705 and Section 94 of Republic Act 8550 by allegedly damaging mangroves and encroaching on the Sum-ag River.
Based on the inventory made by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, it showed that the total volume of the full-grown mangrove trees that were cut reached 173.98 cubic meters while the total affected areas was 2,000 square meters.
In her ruling, Presiding Judge Ana Celeste Bernad of the Bacolod Regional Trial Court, Branch 44, sentenced Tacolod to a minimum of two years and four months in prison, with a maximum of seven years and four months, along with an ₱80,000 fine.
The court also ordered him to pay ₱500,000 per hectare per year for the restoration of the damaged mangrove area, estimated at 2,000 square meters. The DENR-CENRO has been tasked with supervising the restoration and providing the court with regular updates.
While Barangay Sum-ag Captain Rodney Carmona expressed satisfaction with the verdict, he acknowledged the fight is likely not over, as Tacolod’s camp is expected to file a motion for reconsideration.
