DILG to probe 'threats' vs govt worker in anti-illegal logging drive

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is set to investigate alleged death threats against a member of the government's task force (TF) on anti-illegal logging in the Caraga Region. The assurance was made by Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo during his visit to flood-hit Butuan City with President Benigno Aquino III on Friday afternoon. Major General Renato Miranda, commander of Task Force Pagbabago, claimed that one of his men, who he only identified as a certain "Sammy," had received a phone call from a town mayor in the region. “The mayor issued death threats against forester 'Sammy' by phone and warned the forester not to continue anti-illegal logging operations in the area," he said. Miranda declined to identify the local chief executive since they have yet to get his side of the story. "We will seek truth on this as we will give chance for the mayor to air his side at the investigating body," he said. Miranda said Sammy had already executed a complaint affidavit against the mayor. Aquino's warning Illegal logging in the region is one of the problems in Caraga that was highlighted by the President during his first official visit to Butuan City. In a press conference, Aquino revealed he was already mulling imposing a total log ban in six provinces to prevent further denudation of forests there. These provinces are Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Samar, Leyte, Surigao del Sur and Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental. The President acknowledged that the effects of rampant illegal logging and mining in the regions had contributed greatly to the deadly floods spawned by heavy rains brought about by a tail-end of a cold front. The death toll from flooding since December in some parts of the country, especially in the northeastern part of Mindanao, was already close to 50 on Saturday. In the Caraga Region alone, damages to government roads, bridges, schools, irrigation, agriculture due to landslides and flashfloods had already reached P300 million.

President Aquino turns over relief goods for victims of the floods in Agusan del Norte to Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr. at the CAAP compound in Butuan City Airport. Ben Serrano

Aquino reminded local officials in the region to step up their campaign against illegal logging and illegal mining. “Di pa naman ako masyado ulyanin, pagbalik ko sisingilin at sisingilin ko ito sa ating local officials dahil maraming tulay, kalsada nagkakahalaga ng milyon ang marami pang masisra dahil sa kapabayaan natin sa kalikasan," the President said. — Ben Serrano/LBG/MDM, GMANews.TV