Two House committees have directed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to submit a report on the land survey of the Tagum Agricultural Development Corp. banana plantation on or before March 16.
Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, chairperson of the House committee on public accountability, urged DENR’s Region XI director Ruth Tawantawan to coordinate with Ruben Tacugue, former municipal engineer of Panabo, for the land survey at Davao Penal Colony and its surrounding lands to determine the scope of banana plantation and end the restricted access of the residents in several areas.
“May we direct you to coordinate with engineer Tacugue on the said undertaking and submit to the committees on good government and public accountability and on justice of the House of Representatives on or before March 16, 2018 a report on the survey thus conducted and all documents obtained from such undertaking,” he said.
At the same time, Pimentel reminded engineer Noel Basañes, officer-in-charge of Davao del Norte’s district engineering office of the Department of Public Works and Highways, to comply with their directive to submit “an inventory of these public roads and infrastructure projects.”
Tacugue earlier said the land survey was a welcome development to guarantee the access in areas that were allegedly barred from the public by security personnel of Tadeco.
The former municipal engineer made the disclosue during a previous House hearing in connection with the allegedly onerous contract entered by the government, through the Bureau of Corrections, with Tadeco.
Earlier, the Sandiganbayan issued an arrest warrant against Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. on graft charges filed against him by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez over Tadeco’s joint venture with BuCor. The anti-graft court recommended bail of P30,000.
Floirendo, however, insisted that the agreement was valid.
“All things considered, the filing of the case will reveal that the more than three-decades-old Bucor-Tadeco deal, which benefits thousands of inmates and their families and has provided livelihood to thousands of residents and workers, is valid and legal,” Floirendo said.