BORACAY ISLAND — At least 10 local officials in the province of Aklan will face administrative charges for allegedly being accountable for the environmental crisis on Boracay Island in Malay town.
In a press conference Wednesday evening, Assistant Secretary for Plans and Programs Epimaco Densing III of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said that they are now in the process of gathering the authenticated documents and pieces of evidence so they could file the charges at the Ombudsman.
Densing did not name the officials but said they have conducted a probe on local officials, from the governor to the village chiefs. “We did it as objective as we can,” he said.
In a follow-up interview by the Philippine News Agency, Densing said that they are particularly still waiting for the authenticated documents from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“We need some documents signed and authenticated. They gave us documents but they were not authenticated so we were not able to file it,” he said. He continued: “Once we get it, we could already attach them then we will finalize who are we going to file (the charges).”
If all the authenticated documents have been gathered within this week, Densing said they could already file the charges at the Ombudsman next week.
He said that the primary complaints to be filed against the officials include gross neglect of duty but stressed that this is just the first phase of the legal proceedings they are pursuing against the officials.
He said that criminal charges will be filed against them for alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. He, however, refused to discuss further since they still have to request a special audit in the court.
To recall, a 12-person Boracay investigating team chaired by Densing was created to conduct a probe against local officials who might be involved in the environmental crisis on the island.
The team has particularly looked into the violations on the issuance of business permits, fire safety permits, and the building code, among others.
The six months closure and rehabilitation of the island started Thursday, April 26. Tourists are no longer allowed to enter the island while rehabilitation works and clean-up are ongoing. (Cindy Ferrer/PNA)
