THE Office of the Ombudsman has begun its investigation of a private resort at the foot of the sprawling Chocolate Hills in Bohol province.
In an interview with Dobol B TV on Tuesday morning, Ombudsman Samuel Martires confirmed that his office is investigating possible irregularity in the construction of facilities by Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort in Sagbayan town.
“Kahapon ay nagsimula nang lumakad ‘yung aming mga imbestigador. Isa ay pumunta sa opisina ng regional executive director sa Cebu, ‘yung tatlo naman ay pumunta ng Bohol, pumunta sa bayan, at nagkakalap kami ng mga dokumento,” Martires was quoted as saying in a GMA News report.
“Harinawa ngayong araw na ito ay maibigay sa amin ang listahan ng mga members ng PAMB (Protected Area Management Board), ‘yung mga taong nag-issue ng business permit at ng building permit,” the Ombudsman added.
In an earlier interview, Martires noted that even before Chocolate Hills was declared a protected area, there were already small houses in the area.
Under Presidential Proclamation 1037, then President Fidel Ramos designated the Chocolate Hills as a National Geological Monument and Protected Landscape in 1997.
Videos of the resort’s swimming pool and cottages at the foot of the Chocolate Hills went viral on social media, as officials questioned why a resort was allowed to operate in the protected area.
