DENR-6 lawyers defend pal over Boracay mess

ILOILO CITY -- The pool of lawyers of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Western Visayas is preparing their legal move in response to the charges filed against the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) of Aklan.

DENR-6 has rebuffed the inclusion of Aklan PENRO Valentin Talabero among the 17 respondents to the administrative and criminal charges filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III before the Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday.

Talabero was reassigned to Aklan from his previous post as PENRO of Guimaras only last February 14, 2018, more than two months before the closure of Boracay island.

In a press conference Thursday, Talabero said he was “surprised” that his name was included.

He cited that the charges were on alleged violation of the Republic Act 9160 or the Local Government Code.

Talabero said that DENR is not covered by the Local Government Code.

“We are a separate agency. We cannot perform under them because we have our own mandate,” he added.

“Then he (Densing) included me on the list? Not even asking me, my group, not even calling me or not even asking my team of lawyers. I lost my respect for him. He destroyed me, my personality and my whole family,” he said.

Lawyer Wilma Legance, legal counsel for PENRO-Aklan, described the move of the DILG as “baseless, erroneous and irresponsible.”

“It has brought damage to his name (Talabero), career, family, and maligned his reputation as a person,” she said.

Legance said that they are still studying the case along with more than 10 other lawyers who gathered at the re- gional office on Friday.

“We are still keeping our defense or silence,” she said.

The legal team also demanded for a public apology from DILG for the damage that has been done.

Talabero particularly mentioned Densing to not only apologize but to clear his name.

In his 37 years of service with the DENR, Talabero said that this is the first time that a complaint has been filed against him.

In his short stint as PENRO for Aklan, Talabero said he knows the “universe of Boracay” because he is usually immersed in the island.

He also mentioned some of his contributions to the ongoing rehabilitation such as the conduct of actual inventory of the people residing in the nine identified wetland areas in the island and the issuance of show cause order to 842 establishments, permanent and semipermanent structures built on identified timberland areas. (PNA)