THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the cessation of the operations of two companies blamed for deaths caused by flash floods and mudslides at the height of Typhoon Vinta last December for alleged violation of their Industrial Forest Management Agreements (Ifma).
The stop order was issued by DENR Regional Director Felix Mirasol against the Dacon Group of Cos. operating through its subsidiaries, the South Davao Development Co. Inc. (Sodaco) and the Sirawai Plywood and Lumber Corp. (SPLC) in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte, upon the instruction of President Duterte during a Cabinet meeting Monday night.
A Facebook post of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said an angry Duterte issued the order to Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu.
It was Piñol who first visited the area that showed a five-minute video footage of the deforested portion of the Zamboanga mountain range to the President. The massive deforestation in the area is being blamed for the flash floods and mudslides that killed more than two dozen people last December.
Cimatu said a 12-member team consisting of local DENR officers from the forestry, mines and environment bureaus, was formed to look into the operations of Sodaco and SPLC for violations of the Ifma.
Under the Ifma’s terms, SPLC and Sodaco are allowed to establish industrial tree plantations they can harvest but are not allowed to cut residual trees unless authorized by the office of the environment secretary, which is under very strict conditions that such is for site development and plantation establishments.
The DENR has issued five Ifmas to the two firms, which covers a combined area of 70,709 hectares covering 12 towns traversing the boundaries of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur.
“President Duterte issued the order to Secretary Cimatu following a report I made during the Cabinet meeting today, which stretched from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.,” Piñol said in his Facebook post.
He added that, after watching a five-minute video of the deforested portion of the Zamboanga mountain range, Duterte immediately directed Cimatu to implement the closure order.
“Roy, order it closed. Consunji will not suffer undue hardship because he is already an oligarch,” Piñol said, quoting the President telling the environment secretary.
He also added Duterte directed Cimatu to proceed to the area to enforce his directive.
Piñol said the President promised to provide assistance for fishing families in Barangay Anubgan, Sibuco town, whose homes were swept away by the flash floods that brought down the logs that struck the isolated coastal community.
Forty people were swept to the sea, but only 10 bodies were recovered by relatives, Piñol said.