Cebu City Council eyes legal charges against DPWH, contractor over reclamation project

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A MANGROVE road built without permits may soon land some government officials and a private contractor in court.

The Cebu City Council is urging the City Legal Office (CLO) to file legal action against the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and a private contractor over an alleged illegal reclamation and road construction project that buried a coastal mangrove area in Barangay Cogon Pardo.

The controversy centers on a DPWH project dubbed “Protect Lives and Properties Against Major Floods — Flood Management Program,” which involves the construction of a flood mitigation road along A. Gabuya Street and N. Bacalso Avenue.

Instead of building the promised viaduct structure, the DPWH and its contractor reportedly dumped filling materials directly onto a vegetated mangrove area to construct the road, which city councilors say violates national environmental laws.

On June 11, the council passed a resolution urging the CLO to file a case against both the DPWH and the project’s contractor.

The council also scheduled an executive session on Wednesday, June 18, to discuss the issue in detail with concerned agencies and stakeholders.

Councilor Joy Pesquera, in a privilege speech, slammed the project for violating Section 94 of Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code, which prohibits the destruction of mangroves and other protected coastal ecosystems.

“This is not just about tourism. It is about protecting our environment. It is about complying with existing laws,” Pesquera said during the session.

“It is high time for the city government to assert its authority,” she added.

Pesquera also revealed that the DPWH previously committed to constructing a viaduct, a raised structure that would allow the preservation of coastal vegetation underneath, but failed to deliver on that promise.

A recent inspection by the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office found that the construction has already affected mangrove areas, prompting Acting Mayor Donaldo “Dondon” Hontiveros to issue a cease and desist order on June 5.

The order halts all further work on the road project until DPWH and the contractor secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate and submit an Environmental Impact Statement from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“We cannot let this continue. It is now, not tomorrow, that we have to protect the next generation,” Pesquera said.(TGP)