Criminal raps filed vs Monterrazas developer, a project largely linked to Slater Young.
SLATER YOUNG – The project linked to the famous engineer is facing criminal charges filed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Typhoon Tino
that triggered severe and catastrophic flooding in the nearby towns, the authorities decided to investigate the project and determine its significant role in the flooding.
This development prides itself on being the first of its kind, offering a unique blend of indoor–outdoor living and city–mountain lifestyle. Although it is being built on a mountain slope, environmental concerns had already been raised even before construction started.
In the recent updates, during a press conference on Wednesday, December 10, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs and Enforcement Norlito Eneran said charges for the violation of Section 77 of Presidential Decree 705, or the Revised Forestry Code, were filed against the corporation on December 3, 2025.
Section 77 of the Revised Forestry Code penalizes the unlawful cutting, gathering, collecting, removing, or possessing of timber and other forest products. The penalties could include imprisonment of two to four years, fines from ₱1,000 to ₱10,000, confiscation of products or equipment, and cancellation of licenses when applicable — all aimed at curbing illegal logging and safeguarding forest resources.
Previously, it was discovered that over 700 trees were cut down without proper permission for the Monterrazas project. The official added that the developer violated 10 of the 33 conditions in its ECC. Two retention ponds even collapsed, which may have worsened flooding in nearby barangays during Typhoon Tino, a disaster that claimed dozens of lives in Cebu.