The cancellation by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Community Based Forest Management Agreement issued to Pinggot Agro-Forestry Development Association Inc. in Barangay Pinggot, Ilog town, is old news, its president Nehemias de la Cruz said yesterday.

De la Cruz said it was he himself who had asked for the cancellation of the project after Msgr. Vicente Navarra, then bishop of Kabankalan, had opposed it.

He was reacting to an order issued by Environment Regional Executive Director Julian Amador canceling the CBFMA in Pinggot covering 7,360 hectares issued in July 28, 1999 to expire on July 27, 2024. Amador, in his order, said the PAFDAI violated the terms and conditions of the CBFMA Agreement by failing to prepare and implement the Community Resources Management Framework, develop and implement equitable benefit-sharing arrangements among members, actual stakeholders in the area were displaced or excluded without valid cause by the CBFMA awardee, and members of a people's organization had sought the cancellation of the project.

De la Cruz said he did not know why Amador was canceling the CBFMA again, since it had been cancelled already several times before by, among others, then environment secretaries Heherson Alvarez and Michael Defensor.

He said he did not know what the political motive was for the matter to be brought up again and added that, perhaps, Amador just wanted to attract attention to himself.*CPG

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