House orders survey of Tadeco land

The House committee on good government and public accountability has ordered a survey of the land leased by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to the Tagum Agricultural Development Corp. (Tadeco).

Ruber Tacugue, a geodetic engineer from Panabo City, was tasked to conduct the survey.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who attended the committee hearing on BuCor’s lease of 5,300 hectares of the Davao penal colony to Tadeco on Wednesday, said the House would like to determine which areas are used for Tadeco’s banana plantation.

“We want a new survey to find out which are provincial roads, barangay roads and public infrastructure that should not be obstructed... and the public should have access to. I know there are checkpoints there,” Alvarez said.

He said the Philippine National Police should ensure that there are no checkpoints in public roads within the plantation.

Tadeco president Anthony Valoria said Tadeco is not limiting access to public roads, but restricts ingress and egress in its plantation “for bio-security purposes.”

House panel members sought a commitment from Valoria that the firm would cooperate in the survey.

Tacugue complained that he was barred from entering Tadeco-controlled areas in previous surveys.

The family of Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. owns Tadeco, the largest banana plantation in the country.