You will have blood in your hands: Palace tells mayors protecting illegal loggers, miners

MANILA, Philippines — “You will have blood in your hands.” This was Malacañang’s message to local chief executives on Tuesday who are protecting illegal logging and mining operations in their towns.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque issued the statement after Interior Secretary Eduardo Año bared that he has ordered the crackdown against mayors who either directly or indirectly benefited from illegal mining and logging activities.

“Depending on the final results of the investigation, pupwedeng matanggal sa pwesto iyang mga mayor na iyan at pwede ring kasuhan ng kasong kriminal,” Roque said.

The Palace official then reminded the local leaders of the disastrous consequences of violating environmental regulations, citing the recent Cagayan flooding.

“Mga mayors, nandiyan po kayo para ipatupad ang batas hindi para kayo ang lumabag sa batas,” Roque said.

(To the mayors, you are elected to enforce the law and not violate it.)

“Hindi po dapat ginagamit para sa negosyo ang inyong posisyon. Nakita naman po natin ang danyos na dulot ng illegal logging at illegal mining lalong lalo na sa probinsya ng Cagayan. You will have blood in your hands kung poprotektahan niyo po ang mga illegal loggers at illegal miners,” he added.

(Your position should not be used to do business. We have seen the destruction caused by illegal logging and illegal mining especially in the province of Cagayan. You will have blood in your hands if you protect these illegal loggers and illegal miners.)

At least 73 people have reportedly died due to massive flooding and landslide in Luzon caused by the recent onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses while damage to infrastructure and agriculture reached billions of pesos.

JPV