Aliping, et al post bail

FORMER Baguio Rep. Nicasio Aliping Jr. posted bail last week over violations of the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines.

Aliping with contractors William Go, Bernard Capuyan and Romeo Aquino posted bail bonds after warrants for their arrest were issued.

Baguio Judge Emmanuel Rasing of Regional Trial Court Branch 10 stands as temporary overseer for the case as the Benguet court where the case was assigned has none.

Lawyer Lauro Gacayan represents Aquino while Hansel Duque stands as Aliping's counsel.

Gacayan said his client has posted a P200,000 bail, Friday

afternoon. With arraignment and hearings yet to be scheduled by the courts.

Aliping with Go, Capuyan and Aquino face charges over their alleged role in an illegal road excavation that destroyed hundreds of trees and polluted a local water source at the Mount Santo Tomas preserve in 2014.

The office of the Ombudsman slapped the group with violations of cutting, removing, gathering or collecting timber from a forest reservation, and unlawful occupa- tion and destruction of forest and grazing lands.

The decision stated “While the complaint alleges that the acts complained of were committed in relation Aliping’s exercise of official functions, there is evidence that Aliping cut or burned the trees in the performance of his official functions as congressman, which are essentially legislative in character.”

The 2016 case stemmed from the project which is pinpointed to have disturbed the stability of the mountain slope, resulting in massive landslides which are aggravated by the rains, sediments and rocks continuously slide down, causing contamination of the Amliang dams which are being used to impound fresh spring water for distribution to residents of Baguio City and Tuba town.

Petitioners alleged earth-moving activities were approved by Aliping for the opening of a road starting from Mount Kabuyao highway all the way down to Sitio Amliang and Sitio Bekel of Poblacion, Tuba. Former Baguio-Benguet Bishop Caarlito Cenzon with Archbishop Socrates Villegas of the Lingayen-Dagupan Diocese led the filing of a Writ of Kalikasan to stop activities on the mountain in a bid to stop its deterioration, a Temporary Environment Protection Order (TEPO) to stop road openings and other developments being undertaken at Mount Sto. Tomas watershed.

Sunstar Baguio tried but failed to contact the former congressman who did not respond to messages and calls.