A non-government organization wants candidates found to have illegally nailed campaign posters to plant as many trees as the number of trunks they tacked. The Green Ilocos Norte Network and Advocacy (GINNA) said more than 25,000 trees along the province’s major road networks were boarded with campaign paraphernalia during the campaign period despite the law protecting trees from illegal posting. Shermon Cruz, GINNA president, admitted that going to court and imposing sanctions against violators was “a punch in the moon.” The group, however, will start tapping the assistance of the local Integrated Bar of the Philippines in the filing of cases against violators in time for the next election period. “If we can’t file cases against them, we should make them plant trees equivalent to the number of trunks they nailed,” he said. He said the number of trees nailed during the campaign could go higher if they included interior roads in the 22 towns and Laoag City in the count. The group tied up with the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office in launching the “Sagip Puno, Tanggal Pako” campaign, which involves extracting nails that were tacked on trees. Juan delos Reyes, Jr., provincial environment and natural resources officer (PENRO), said the holes that the nails created could be the entry point of microorganisms and could cause tree diseases to set in. “We need to close the gap that the nails created to prevent the setting in of tree diseases and, in the process, heal itself,” Reyes said. The said habitual violators of illegal posting have been previously written and restrained from repeating the offense. “We are glad to note that some candidates have apologized while some complied with the regulation,” he added. He said the protection and management of trees include cutting century-old trees that are found to be “terminally ill.” “Ang puno may feeling din ‘yan na hindi lang makapagsalita. Kung yung karayom nga na maliit kapag tumusok sa katawan nasasaktan ang buong katawan ay ganyan din ang puno,” Delos Reyes stressed. The trees that are on their terminal stage are those whose trunks and base are weak and tend to lean towards public road posing danger to motorists. The PENRO has started cutting three out of the 130 trees that have been identified as dangerous to life and property. Of the remaining inventory, 13 are due for immediate cutting while the rest could be subjected to tree surgery or pruning. Reyes said they would save the trees if possible but cutting was the only practical solution if they pose risk to the public. He said the DENR started assessing the state of century-old trees when a tree collapsed in 2005 and crushed to death a family of five on board a van while traversing a national road in Batac town. Cristina Arzadon and Leilanie G. Adriano
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