A Pasig City-based law office tagged as “false and misleading” allegations that a large poultry enterprise in Palompon, Leyte had committed environmental and land violations.
The Valeña Law Office issued the statement as the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office in Leyte denied having conducted an investigation on the purported environmental infractions by the DBSN Farms and Agriventures Corp. owned by the family of Palompon Mayor Ramon Oñate.
DBSN, one of the largest agriculture companies in the Visayas, employs more than 600 workers.
Lawyer Arnel Victor Valeña said the charges aired by the camp of Rep. Richard Gomez against DBSN stemmed from “a typical case of error in interpretation” of PENRO’s statement that it has “no existing records for any permit applied for or application submitted by DBSN/DBSN Breeder Farm relative to any quarry operations in San Joaquin, Palompon, Leyte.”
“It is correct that DBSN does not have any such permit—the reason being that they do not operate any quarry,” Valeña said.
Valeña was referring to a certification issued by the PENRO “upon request of a person in authority” regarding DBSN’s quarry permit.
Valeña said the PENRO certification was quoted out of context, alleging that the DBSN “has no permit to quarry or dig dumpsites to contain the wastes the farm produces in the area.”
He also sought to clarify online news report stating that DBSN was “reportedly” owned by local officials. “DBSN is proudly owned by the Oñate family. They are not hiding this,” Valeña said.
Valeña also denied that a House investigation found that the breeder farm has been burying its solid wastes in a dumpsite “illegally excavated” in Barangay San Joaquin.
“This is misleading. The investigation is still ongoing, and we are not aware of any findings that have been made,” he said.
Valeña also refuted allegations that the purported dumpsite was located inside the protected Palompon Watershed and Forest Reserve. “This is also false. There is no such dumpsite,” he said.
He echoed an earlier challenge for the filing of formal charges before the court, specifically the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Mayor Oñate is confident that any case filed at the Ombudsman will give him the venue to refute Rep. Gomez’s accusations and clear his name,” he said.