OMBUDSMAN SUSPENDS BOHOL GOVERNOR, 68 OTHERS OVER CHOCOLATE HILLS MESS

THE Office of the Ombudsman suspended for six months Bohol Governor Erico Aris Aumentado and 68 other officials due to the Chocolate Hills resort controversy.

The order was made public late Tuesday.

Aside from Aumentado, some mayors, a vice mayor, village officials, police officers and officials of government agencies were also suspended without pay for grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires signed the preventive suspension order on May 20.

Also named as respondents were representatives of Bohol 1^st district Rep. Edgar Chatto and 3^rd district Rep. Kristine Alexie Tutor and former governors Rene Relampagos and Arthur Yap.

According to the Ombudsman Field Investigative Office, the respondents “acted with manifest partiality, evident bad faith, gross inexcusable negligence and committed gross violations of the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992 (NIPAS Act of 1992) and Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018 (E–NIPAS Act of 2018) when they remained adamant and continuously tolerated the operation and expansion of Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort despite its lack of environmental clearance permits and flagrant violations of the NIPAS and E-NIPAS Act.”

A video circulated on social media last March exposing the Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort built within the vicinity of Chocolate Hills in Sagbayan town.

The resort stopped operations on March 14.

Proclamation 1037, signed July 1997, declared the Chocolate Hills as a natural monument while the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) included it among the World Heritage sites.

Meanwhile, Aumentado said he and the province will remain strong amid the great challenge.

“I will come back for you to continue serving for the advancement of Bohol. I shall return,” the governor told his constituents.