MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to investigate the alleged illegal logging and mining activities following the flooding experienced in Cagayan Valley brought about by Typhoon Ulysses.
During his situation briefing in Tuguegarao City on Sunday, President Duterte asked Cimatu to make sure that residents in flood-prone areas are relocated to higher grounds.
“I will direct here Cimatu to look into the illegal minings especially where people are building their shelter downwards,” Duterte said. “We always talk about illegal logging and mining but actually nothing has been done about it.”
“In other areas, ‘yung convincing the people to move to a place where it’s not prone to flooding. That’s the only way that we can erase agony every time that there is a typhoon over here,” he added.
Duterte also reiterated the need for urgent climate action, warning that poor countries like the Philippines are most affected by the effects of climate change.
“Accept it or not, itong climate change the warm climate boils the Pacific Ocean. There’s a lot of water vapor going upstairs and accumulating so much water, rain then it falls down, talagang ang matamaan ngayon ‘yung mga populated areas nakukumprumiso,” he said.
“We had a virtual Summit meeting Friday and I was very strong in my language about the people who contributed a lot to the global warming and anong pinakita nila sa atin na tayo Philippines we only have a few factories running here. We spewed a little, but not that much,” he added./PN
