Community service for Mount Napulak trekkers

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

The youngsters who “illegally” trekked Mount Napulak on board their motorcycles will render community service as punishment for violating an executive order of Igbaras, Iloilo.

Police Captain Eleazar Climacosa, Igbaras police chief, said 17 individuals, including 7 minors, went up Mount Napulak last week.

After the incident became viral in social media, 10 riders, including a female, appeared at the Igbaras police station.

“They agreed to do community service,” Climacosa said.

But the Igbaras town council has yet to schedule the day and what kind of community service the trekkers will render.

The seven minors, on the other hand, would be referred to the local office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for appropriate actions.

Climacosa said the 17 riders are residents of Barangay Tigbanaba, the adjacent village of Igcabugao where Mount Napulak is located.

They allegedly told a barangay kagawad that they would visit Sitio Arang-Arang, as one of them has a farm in the area.

“Nagkakayayaan daw sila na umakyat para makatingin ng ibang view,” Climacosa said.

The illegal trek became viral after one of the riders posted their photos on Facebook.

The post elicited negative reactions from netizens citing violation of the guidelines on enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

The riders were clearly seen posing for the camera and not observing physical distancing.

None of them wore a face mask.

Some of the riders claimed that the pictures were taken even before the province was placed under community quarantine.

But Mayor Jaime Esmeralda believed the pictures were just taken very recently.

On March 16, 2020, Esmeralda issued Executive Order No. 03-21, which declares the temporary suspension of visiting, hiking, trekking or any related activities to the eco-tourism destinations, ambulant vending and ukay-ukay selling in Igbaras.