Tulfo raises 'conflict of interest' with DENR chief on land ownership

Senator Raffy Tulfo on Friday raised a "conflict of interest" with Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga’s position in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and her family's land ownership, which is allegedly located within the country's declared protected areas in Palawan province. 

Citing a published article by a newspaper entity, Tulfo said Yulo-Loyzaga's family owned about 40,000 hectares of land within the towns of Coron and Busuanga. 

Hence, Tulfo filed Senate Resolution 985, seeking to investigate the DENR chief's alleged conflict of interest over the Republic Act 7586 or the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992 and Republic Act 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-NIPAS) Act of 2018. 

"In 1975, then President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. issued Presidential Proclamation No. 1387 declaring a 40,000 hectares land area in Busuanga and Coron as pasture reserve – a protected area owned by the state. But one year later, in 1976, the Yulos allegedly obtained said property," he said.

The senator said the DENR chief’s privately-owned Yulo King Ranch (YKR) has been branded "the largest agrarian anomaly."

"Every year, from 2015 until now, hundreds of farmers would hold a protest in Palawan as they request that the small 900 hectares land which is part of YKR be distributed and shared with them so that they can use and benefit from it," he stressed.

In light of environmental woes over the private resorts built within the protected areas, Tulfo cited the Section of RA 11038, which directs the DENR chief to "carry out the mandates of the law to take care of protected areas."

In a recent Senate hearing, senators Nancy Binay and Cynthia Villar aired their sentiments in favor of demolishing the Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort, which was illegally constructed in the Chocolate Hills protected area in Bohol.

The senators’ sentiments were backed by Tulfo, saying there are so many places where resorts can be legally constructed "so that the declared protected areas can be fully preserved."

In a recent press conference, Binay maintained that Chocolate Hills resort is "such an eyesore."

"Sinabi ni Secretary Loyzaga kanina na parang they are in the process of hearing itong issue ng Captain’s Peak, but sa akin, 'yung structure itself, sobra siyang sakit sa bangs 'yung itsura. Between the hill, 'di ba? For me, dapat matanggal talaga ‘yang structure," she said.

Villar, on the other hand, stressed that non-demolition of the resort would be "oil the works" for more individuals to build more private structures in the protected areas. 

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa also urged the DENR to look into the violations of resort owners who have opened businesses within the protected Mt. Apo Reserve. 

At the hearing, Tulfo likewise disclosed that more structures were illegally built in other protected areas such as the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape and Ticao Burias Pass Protected Seascape. 

Citing environmentalists, Tulfo said the Philippines has a wide range of lands where resorts can be built without compromising the preservation of protected areas.

Thus, the senators suggested to the DENR to demolish the illegal structures in protected areas instead of penalizing monetarily the owners.

On the contrary, Yulo-Loyzaga earlier said the DENR does not intend to close down the resorts and other establishments operating without a permit in the protected area, particularly those built at the buffer zones of Mt. Apo.

"We want to find a common ground, we are not only protecting the environment but the people who are working on these establishments as well," she said.

Tulfo criticized Yulo-Loyzaga's stand on the matter. 

"Bakit pa tayo magdedeklara ng mga protected area na kalaunan ay puwede palang patayuan ng mga resort at ang ibibigay na palusot ng DENR ay alang-alang sa trabaho? (Why would we declare some areas as protected areas if we will eventually allow the establishment of resorts there and DENR would give excuses that these structures could provide employment?)," he asked. 

Meanwhile, Tulfo's resolution wants to determine if the DENR chief’s ranch would "compromise the objectives of the department tasked to enforce laws regarding protected areas."

"The Yulo family allegedly came to own the land in 1976, which goes against Proclamation 1387 promulgated in 1975," Tulfo wrote in his resolution.

He added that "such allegations could undermine public trust in the DENR and affect its capability to effectively fulfill its mandate of making unbiased decisions regarding issues of similar nature, as well as protecting the environment and natural resources of the country."

Tulfo lamented that the government must ensure that "public officials always adhere to the highest ethical standards and do not have any conflict of interest between holding public positions and personal benefits."

"The Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources be directed to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation on the veracity of the allegations on the purported conflict of interest of the DENR Secretary, with an end in view to evaluate current laws and regulations, and to strengthen mechanisms for transparency and accountability," Tulfo wrote in his resolution.