BORACAY – The Office of the President has ordered to stop the demolitions in the main building of the controversial Boracay West Cove resort.
In a two-page letter dated March 23, Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs Ryan Alvin Acosta said the Palace has yet to decide on the appeal of West Cove owner Crisostomo Aquino.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has cancelled the resort’s Forest Land Use Agreement for Tourism due to its environmental violations.
This prompted Aquino to appeal before the Malacañang.
But in February this year, DENR secretary Roy Cimatu ordered the demolition of the resort’s famous viewing deck.
Aquino’s resort personnel, upon his order, also helped in the demolition.
Several weeks after, the Malay local government ordered to close the resort and demolish its main building.
The demolition was due to a number of violations of the resort, which was called the “mother of all violations” in Boracay.
There were reports that on April 25, the demolition team tried to set the resort on fire to fast-track their work.
Aquino said the demolition order was “political” more than it is “environmental,” questioning the authority of the local government.
Aquino said he only received Acosta’s letter last week.
The demolition, which lasted for more than a month now, stopped after the local government received the letter.
“If ever the Malacañang would render a decision which would be against us, we still have an option to go to the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court,” said Aquino./PN
