The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed multiple local and environment officials, including Sagbayan, Bohol Mayor Restituto Suarez III, for allowing the construction of a private resort within the protected Chocolate Hills—a site recognized as both a National Treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Suarez, Zoning Administrator Maximo Lomosbog, and Municipal Building Official Alan Dinoy were found guilty of Grave Misconduct, Gross Neglect of Duty, and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service. They were removed from office, stripped of retirement benefits, and permanently banned from public service.
Also dismissed were 14 members of the Protected Area Management Board’s (PAMB) technical working group and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) officials, including PAMB chairman Gilbert Gonzales and DENR-7 regional director Paquito Melicor. In addition, 22 barangay captains who sit on the PAMB were suspended for Simple Misconduct.
The case stemmed from the controversial Captain’s Peak Resort, which went viral online for operating in the iconic landscape without the necessary permits and environmental clearances. According to the Ombudsman’s ruling, the resort lacked an Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Compliance Certificate, Special Use Agreement in Protected Areas, mayor’s permit, business permit, building permit, and locational clearances from 2020 to 2024.
Investigators said the “unrestricted developments” caused “defacement and mutilation” of the Chocolate Hills National Monument. While a notice of violation was issued, no decisive action was taken to stop the operations.
The Ombudsman also reprimanded and warned several executive committee members from 2018 to 2022, including Bohol Governor Enrico Aristotle Aumentado and other municipal mayors, for repeated absences in key meetings.
