Dads agree to dredge Cagayan River sans Digong’s approval

By LITO RULONA,
and NITZ ARANCON,
Correspondents

The majority members of the city council has passed and approved a resolution informing President Rodrigo Duterte, the secretaries of the Department of Public Works and Highway and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that the city government is now ready to implement Cagayan de Oro River dredging operation.

The resolution was authored by councilor Zaldy Ocon, the city council chairman of the Committee on Environment to conduct an immediate dredging operation along the river.

The resolution passed but only after an opposition from councilors Teodulfo Lao, Jr and Leon Gan.

Minority Floor Leader and City Councilor Leon Gan claimed that the city government should seek authority from the Office of the President as among the needs to legalize the move of the local officials.

“We still need authority from President Duterte as among the requirements set by law,” he said.

He said whatever resolutions or move by the city government done for the Cagayan de Oro River still needs clearance from the Office of the President in Malacañang, Metro Manila.

“We will ask the local chief executive to write the office of the President seeking for clearance for us to dredge the river. The resolution must be addressed to President Rodrigo Duterte instead to DPWH and DENR,” he added.

Lao insisted that the city council should follow the protocol of “Arens Patrae.”

“Arens Patrae – buot pasabot nga mananghid ta’g tarong sa Presidente. Dili kay ato lang siya ipahibalo nga ato nang i-dredge ang atong suba. Sayop kana,” Lao told Gold Star Daily.

During the approval of the resolution, city councilors who favored the immediate dredging of Cagayan River were Ian Mark Nacaya, Rueben Daba, Eric Salcedo, Malou Gaane, Zaldy Ocon, Jay Pascual  and Edna Dahino.

Those who did not favor the resolution were Councilors Leon Gan and Tedoulfo Lao, Jr. Those who abstained the move were Suzette Magtajas-Daba, Annie Daba, Dometilo Acenas, Jr., Lordan Suan, Romeo Calizo, and ABC president Yan Lam Lim.

Ocon said he passed the resolution because if there were no dredging done in the Cagayan River, a swell too much will cause re-direction and flooding to areas not covered by the river protection.

He said in order to remove the sand bars and able to make a river safe current, the city government should allow a river dredging immediately.

“I have talked to some legal and dredging concessioners in the city who are willing to quarry the sand bars. Through quarrying the city government will not spend a single centavo and instead derived income from the sand and gravel extracted from the river,” he added.

Ocon said to those who are interested to apply for quarry and dredging operations, the interested group will asked social acceptability clearance from the barangay, DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Environmental Certificate Clearance and business permit from the city government.