Last week, showed you how members from the Barranco village in the Toledo District were so angry about logging concessions to the forest and jungle areas near their community, that they staged a protest.
Part of their rage over this is that they insist that they were not consulted and neither was there any attempt to get their consent. Some of the protesters even asserted that they consider it an additional affront that some members of the community were denied permits. Of course, they have raised objections to the fact that a relative of PUP Minister Mike Espat has been granted one of those permits.
Well, the Barranco Village Council recently hosted a community meeting to hear from their upset residents. Our colleagues from PGTV News were present for that meeting, and with their help, we bring you a few snippets of the back and forth between attendants and the Village Chairman:
Chairman, Barranco Village
"Ladies and gentlemen, there are 4 people from Barranco who got logging concessions: Mr. Nataniel Cayetano, Mr. Fabian Cayetano, Mr. Egbert Valencio, and Mr. Jerry Arzu - 4 people."
Villager
"I repeatedly tell my executive why cant we meet with the people? What is nwrong for meeting with the people. You see now you are taking your lick - you are the big man, Mr. Chairman."
"When that heavy equipment come, because there is a view out there that licenses are already approved. Those machines will not come into Barranco if nothing approved, right."
Chairman, Barranco Village
"Let me answer that. First of all, you pushed your feet to far, because you are talking about, I approved, I this and that, no sir. It's the minister who signed those things, its not me."
Villager
"Why are the members of the village council are getting into concessions? It should be the people who they are serving, Its not themselves."
Villager
"The chairman said let us recommend everyone who want to apply, then the minister will approved anyway."
Villager
"Since we are trying to clarify what is out in the media, those who have been approved are they singling getting that approval or are they in partnership with the people who the names, especially the relatives of Mike Espat."
Chairman, Barranco Village
"The concessions was granted to Mr. Wallace Mahler in partnership with Mr. Egbert Valencia and Mr. Jerry Arzu. The other concession is granted to Mr. Fabian Cayetano. The next concession was granted to Mr. Nataniel Cayetano and Ms. Malanie Nah. I want you all to know that here is a letter that I personally wrote to the minister - deny Miss Melanie Nah a concession here in the Barranco area. I wrote that letter to the minister personally."
Villager
"Solution: cancel all concession this year and we need as of today a document sign by this council and whichever council comes in there after that, if you don't have any consultation before you do anything, that's a no go."
As you heard, the community wants their Village Council to write to the Government asking for all logging concessions to be canceled for this year, so that the community can inform themselves on the process, and whether or not they support these permits.
