BCDA vows to block bid to cut pine trees inside Camp John Hay

Bases Conversion and Development Authority has vowed to block the plan of the Sobrepeña-led Camp John Hay Development Corp. (CJHDevco) to cut more than 1,000 trees in the John Hay Special Economic Zone (JHSEZ).

“BCDA will not, in any way, allow any lessee or locator within our economic zones to violate environmental laws,” said Arnel Paciano Casanova, president and chief executive officer of the BCDA.

Based on a demand letter submitted to BCDA last December, CJHDevco wanted the government to approve all its applications for permits pending with the One-Stop Action Center (OSAC). Ten of these permits were for tree-cutting and earthballing that will affect 1,033 trees in John Hay.

BCDA said in a statement that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was the only government agency authorized to issue tree-cutting and earthballing permits.

“We want to comply with environmental laws,” Casanova said.

“However, CJHDevco wanted us to exceed our authority by demanding that we approve their pending tree-cutting permits. When we did not give in to their demands, which may expose us to legal liabilities, they unilaterally rescinded the contract and are now claiming an atrocious amount of P14.4 billion from the government,” he said. Casanova noted that the BCDA could not be faulted for adhering to the rule of law.

Casanova also emphasized that it was CJHDevco which owed the government P3.024 billion, and has merely used the pending permits at the OSAC as an excuse to evade its ballooning obligations.