Green Coalition blames Caraga flooding to illegal logging, mining

BUTUAN CITY- A citizen’s watchgroup Green Coalition on Wednesday blamed the recent flooding and landslides, said to be the worst ever to hit the Caraga region in Mindanao, to illegal logging and mining. Dr. Mamerto Jose Dilangalen Aguas, head of Green Coalition, said in a press statement on Thursday that it is time for the Aquino administration to revamp all of its DENR personnel from Misamis Oriental to the Caraga region. The group said the deforestation caused by illegal logging and mining has triggered the floods that began at the start of the year. “And yet they are not held accountable in all these years even for decades now despite continuing deforestation that all caused these massive destruction of the environment," Aguas said. “While government made too much publicity that it already stop illegal logging and mining , the fact remains and it is public knowledge that truckloads of illegally cut logs passed national highway not only at night but even broad daylight with PNP highway patrol groups seemed to play blind, deaf and mute", said Aguas, a forester and a holder of two doctoral degrees — Doctors of Philosophy and Public Administration. Aguas alleged that some influential politicians were allegedly behind the illegal mining and logging activities in Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental and the Caraga region. Aguas said many illegal loggers do not only practice “drag cutting and logging" that destroyed habitats but also totally destroy plants and trees that are not yet fully grown. “Kaingin or slash and burn method also contributed to deforestation and because there are no longer roots of fully grown trees to hold rainwaters, it will of course flow freely to low lying communities causing floods and landslide that destroyed millions of pesos public and private infrastructures," Aguas said. Aguas warned that if illegal mining and logging are not stopped, “we will find ourselves floating not only in flood waters but in the ocean of hopelessness where many will perished, millions if not billions of roads, bridges and schools destroyed due wanton destruction of the environment". Aguas explained that Green Coalition unlike other green groups or NGOs is not totally against development and not not anti-mining. However, it is against irresponsible acts against the environment, he said. – VVP, GMANews.TV