MikeLigalig.com

Agusan gov't comes up with measures to curb illegal checkpoints
by Dave M. Suyao

Butuan City (27 June 2005) -- A group of people whose interest is on tree business recently met with government officials at the old Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall at the government center in order to discuss the smooth processing of documents including the transport of planted tree species inside and outside the province.

The group was composed of tree farmers, traders, shippers and foresters whose aim is to formulate and pass a resolution that will highly support the local government to manage and control the processing and issuances of transport documents of planted tree species and other agro-industrial products. Another purpose of the forum is to clear the issue of checkpoints that are spreading anywhere along the national highway and along Agusan River allegedly collecting money from the shippers.

It can be recalled that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has passed a Resolution authored by SP member Salimar Mondejar approved by Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza on November 22 last year ordering that there will only be three checkpoints that will be established in the entire province and they will be located in Barangay Crossing Cuevas in Trento in the south, Barangay Tabon-Tabon in Sibagat in the north and Barangay Cubo, Esperanza along the Agusan River.

The SP Resolution was hatched after a thorough consultation by the provincial officials headed by Gov. Plaza with the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Agusan del Sur Chapter, the Liga ng mga Barangay, the Association of Municipal Treasurers of Agusan del Sur and the Environment and Natural Resources Office. It was further strengthened by the Provincial Ordinance No. 8 Series of 2004, otherwise known as The Revenue Code of Agusan del Sur that defines the functions of the provincial and municipal personnel that will man the checkpoints, while personnel from the national government agencies may discharge their respective and official functions at the three identified checkpoints.

During the recent Provincial Peace and Order Council, the author, SP member Salimar Mondejar said that the real purpose of the checkpoints is to stop the illegal collection of money by unscrupulous people from the shipper of the planted tree species logs.

"These tree farmers have broken their backs to plant trees for the sake of their family. These people who are illegally collecting out of the income of the tree farmers are the illegal ones and therefore must be stopped and if caught doing their dirty jobs, be penalized. The Governor is very serious on this matter", SP Mondejar said.

Aside from the three checkpoints, Ordinance No. 12 also state the creation of a Mobile Monitoring Team that will be composed of personnel duly appointed by the Provincial Governor to cover the monitoring activities in the areaws not covered by the permanent checkpoints. (PIA Agusan del Sur)

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=87815.0