THE FLOIRENDO-OWNED Tagum Agricultural Development Company (Tadeco) is mulling on filing charges against members of a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) team for destroying the steel swing beam installed at the entrance of the farm road located in the town of Braulio E. Dujali in Davao del Norte.

“We are looking at the possibility of filing cases against the individuals involved in that team that went there and destroyed our private property,” Alexander N. Valoria, Tadeco president and chief executive officer, said in press conference on Wednesday, March 7, at The Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City.

Tadeco Legal Officer Nicholas A. Baña said the individuals involved were from the DPWH-District Engineer’s Office of Davao del Norte led by Engr. Noel C. Basañes and Edwin Jubahid, who is connected to the Office of House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez.

The team were supposedly conducting a survey of the Davao Penal Colony (DAPECOL) beginning Monday.

In a statement, the company, the country’s biggest banana exporter, said the swing beam is used only to help in the flow of traffic going through the tire dip, which is part of the government-required quarantine measures for the banana plantation.

The DAPECOL inspection, according to Tadeco, was ordered by the House committee on good governance and public accountability chaired by Rep. Johnny T. Pimentel to conduct an inventory of public roads and infrastructure projects.

However, “instead of the inspection and inventory… the DPWH and Edwin Jubahib unlawfully ordered their people to forcibly remove the steel swing beam of Tadeco’s quarantine facility, resulting in the damage of property. The act was made with deceit and evident bad faith, and purely designed to harass Tadeco,” the company said.

“We are looking at the measures on how to prevent this from happening again. If they want to come and conduct a survey, they should just give us prior advise, but with respect to the incident last Monday, we will hold those people accountable,” Mr. Valoria said.

The House committee has been conducting an inquiry on the contract between Tadeco and the Bureau of Corrections, which is in charge of DAPECOL and owns the land where the facility is located. Charges have also been filed against Davao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Antonio R. Floirendo, Jr., who is a member of the family that owns Tadeco. — Maya M. Padillo

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