Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has ordered the firm of Councilor Vladimir Gonzalez to cease and desist from proceeding with its ongoing embankment and slope protection project in Purok Bayanihan, Barangay Banago, pending verification by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The mayor’s notice signed on Friday, September 9, was sent to Home Invest Ventures Inc. and released to the media on Monday.
Gonzalez said he respects the decision of the mayor and had stopped the project on September 1.
Barangay Banago officials are questioning the legality of the project.
The councilor earlier said that the project on his private property in Purok Bayanihan has all the necessary government permits.
Benitez said his cease and desist notice refers to the ongoing simple embankment using borrowed filling materials and slope protection activities being made by Home Invest Realty Ventures Inc. on its property.
There is a need to verify the classification of the property and whether the activities being conducted on it comply with applicable regulations as may be determined by the DENR and other government agencies, the mayor said.
He ordered the firm to cease and desist from proceeding with its work pending
inventory, verification and land survey by the DENR in line with DENR Department Order
No. 2004-24 dated Aug. 24, 2002 or the Revised Rules and Regulations Governing
Administration and Management of Foreshore Lands and DENR Administrative Order No.
2007-29 dated July 31, 2007 or the Revised Regulations on Land Survey.*