The Highway Patrol Group (HPG) and the Bohol Environmental Protection Task Force (BEPTF), which is under the Provincial Legal Office (PLO) agree to join forces in the implementation of environmental laws as the former puts closure to the plate number issue, according to a report from the Provincial Information and Media Relations office on Friday, June 18, 2021.
The HPG-Bohol led by Master Sgt. Marcelino Dacoylo and the PLO Atty. Nilo Ahat met to discuss the issue on the undercover vehicle used in the operation against alleged illegal quarry activities in Garcia Hernandez town.
The HPG agreed to put closure on the issue as both parties agreed to have closer coordination to avert any conflict in the future.
The meeting, which was brokered by Board Member Ricky Masamayor, the chairman of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s Committee on Peace and Order, resulted with the parties arriving at an understanding that the issue could have been avoided if only there was coordination prior to the operation.
As this developed, the HPG said that it would no longer be conducting an investigation regarding the incident about the plate number used by members of the BEPTF.
Furthermore, the HPG considers the issue on the use of plate number as a disguise, “closed and terminated”.
The HPG recognized that the BEPTF was conducting a legitimate operation and should no longer be subjected to an investigation.
In the said meeting, Atty. Ahat used the opportunity to extend an invitation to HPG Bohol to collaborate and assist the Provincial Government and the BEPTF to arrest modified dumptrucks used in alleged violation of the Revised Mining Ordinance and other environmental laws.
The issue stems from the flagging down of a vehicle used by the BEPTF in barangay Laya, Baclayon on June 7, 2021 by the HPG. The vehicle allegedly sported a green plate, which is supposed to help disguise the vehicle that was used against alleged illegal quarry operations in Garcia Hernandez town.
It seems that this issue somehow diverted the attention of the public to the real issue at hand which involved the rental of the local government unit (LGU) truck used in the hauling of three cubic meters of alleged illegally extracted.
Now with the issue on the use of another plate by the BEPTF as a form of disguise in its operation already closed, according to the HPG, there are questions that need to be answered?
1. Are we NOT going to find out who is really behind the alleged illegal sand extraction in Garcia Hernandez?
2. Are we closer to the answer whether or not the owner of the company allegedly behind the illegal sand extraction is related by blood or by affinity to one of the top officials of the LGU of G-Hernandez?
3.) Are we going find out if there is any connection between the person behind the alleged illegal sand extraction and anybody from the LGU?
4.) Who from LGU G-Hernandez allowed the rental of the LGU-owned vehicle to the person who allegedly extracted sand without any delivery receipt?
5.) Are there relatives of Mayor Tita Baja involved in a hauling/quarrying business who could be of help in identifying the person who rented the vehicle from the LGU of G-Hernandez?
These are the questions that remain unanswered even as the issue on the green plate used by the BEPTF has been resolved.
