Over 2,000 tree seedlings planted on solon’s natal day

16 durian trees cut in San Francisco

By Bong Pedalino

Maasin City (2 September) — Here is a study in contrast: while Cong. Roger Mercado continues to walk the talk on his tree-planting advocacy, especially during his birthday, some 16 full-grown durian trees about to bear fruit were cut in San Francisco town.

And the Southern Leyteno lawmaker knew about the sad fate of the durian trees a day before his birthday on Sunday, August 29.

Still, it did not deter the solon from going ahead with the scheduled tree-planting after an early Sunday Mass, this time including the sides of the road of an interior highway from Prinsesa to Dongon, left turn to sitio Gotosan, barangay Bogo, and on to the grassy peaks of Bogo’s mountain ranges.

More than two thousand various varieties of tree seedlings, including fire trees and talisay were planted after the activity was over, participated by many employees from government agencies and the private sector.

On Saturday, right after his radio program, one Reynaldo Baja, a resident of barangay Central, San Francisco, showed Cong. Mercado and members of the local media “gruesome” pictures of what had been done to his durian trees, some starting to bear fruit.

He narrated that this happened June 24 this year at a mountainous area in barangay Bongawisan, about five kilometers from where he lived.

He said he had the incident blottered at the local police office, and intimated that he already had an idea on who were the suspects.

The durian trees were already cut when he came to the site after learning about it, Baja said.

Cong. Mercado, apparently saddened by what had happened while seeing the photos of the cut durian trees, asked the media to help disseminate the information leading to the capture of those responsible.

At the tree-planting site, PIA chanced upon Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Ranulfo Arbiol and sought his reaction about the incident.

Arbiol said he only knew about it through Jani Arnaiz of the Inquirer that very same morning. He said he would task the CENRO Officer in San Juan town to investigate the matter. (PIA-Southern Leyte)