Politicians cut trees for campaign funds

January 31, 2010

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

Trees from Lanao and Misamis Oriental areas are now being cut down and sold to generate funds to augment the war chests of local ruthless officials who are gunning for posts in the coming May 10, 2010 elections, a local environmental group disclosed yesterday.

The disclosure was made amid moves initiated by Misamis Oriental Vice-Gov. Norris Babiera to stop logging in his province.

“We are willing to support Vice-Gov. Norris Babiera if he can really deliver considering that our trees are now the source of campaign funds by those in power,” Taskforce Macajalar (TFM) chairperson Atty. Manuel Ravanera said.

Ravanera revealed how they received reports from their members regarding an “alarming increase” in the rate of trees that are being cut down in the three provinces – Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur – since late last year.

He said the reports included even sightings of more and more huge trucks carrying a considerable number of logs passing through the national highways of Misamis Oriental and the Lanao areas even through the Cagayan de Oro city.

“They are cutting down our trees and transporting them under cover of darkness” the lawyer-environmentalist told Gold Star Daily yesterday.

Because of this, Ravanera said they immediately fielded environmental officers early this month to verify these reports from their members.

He said a “back-tracing” of who are the brains behind the increasing rate of forest denudation in these provincial areas was immediately conducted by these agents.

TFM field agents discovered that top-ranking politicians and candidates belonging to influential political families are behind these activities to further bankroll their election campaigns this coming local and national elections.

Ravanera said it would not be easy to stop these perpetrators considering the power and influence they wield in their areas.

“But we will not hesitate to slap charges against these people who are destroying our environment and in so doing destroying the lives our people and the generations to come,” he said.

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