The construction of a resort within the famous Chocolate Hills has caused controversy, leading to the six-month suspension of Bohol Governor Erico Aris Aumentado and 68 other officials.
Aumentado disclosed that the Office of the Ombudsman has placed him, mayors, current and past authorities, village officials, and regional directors on preventative suspension in a statement released on Tuesday from the provincial capitol. Regarding the Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort, which was constructed in the well-known Chocolate Hills, charges have been brought, leading to these suspensions.
“Myself and 68 other officials, both former and current, have been given a preventive suspension for six months,” Aumentado addressed a stunned crowd in Cebuano.
He denied having anything to do with the controversial resort’s building.
Aumentado said he received the suspension order on Tuesday morning and posted the news on his Facebook page.
The governor stated that both the Senate and Congress are still looking at the resort’s construction. The Bohol Provincial Board is also carrying out an independent inquiry.
Throughout his suspension, Aumentado pleaded with his fellow legislators to continue doing their jobs fairly and assiduously. On his Facebook page, he posted, “Please uphold our promises to the people, and we shall continue serving despite this significant challenge.”
The encroachment of the Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort, situated in the Chocolate Hills area, on a national asset has caused outrage among the population.
UNESCO has designated the Chocolate Hills National Monument as a protected landscape and a National Geological Monument.
