Quezon mayor accused of protecting loggers points to relatives

LUCENA CITY—A tribal leader in Sierra Madre has accused a town mayor in Quezon province of coddling illegal loggers.

Ramcy Astoveza, executive director of the Tribal Center for Development Foundation Inc. based in Infanta town, said General Nakar Mayor Leovigildo Rozul has been protecting his relatives engaged in illegal logging in Sierra Madre.

Rozul, contacted by phone, admitted that some of his “distant relatives” were still engaged in illegal logging.

“I could not deny that because our town has long been dependent on logging. But I never stop persuading my people, including my relatives, to stop cutting trees and instead find alternative livelihoods,” Rozul said.

Rozul said most of his relatives who were formerly engaged in logging are now into vegetable production in General Nakar, the biggest municipality in Quezon province that covers part of Sierra Madre.

The group Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance Inc. (SSMNAI) also reported cases of timber poaching in Sierra Madre in the first year of an executive order issued by President Aquino which was supposed to have banned logging nationwide.

The group said logging continues despite the ban which was the reason Mr. Aquino should fire his environment secretary, Ramon Paje.

Paje had denied logging continued despite the ban, saying what SSMNAI reported could be cases of previously cut logs that were being transported after payment of government fees.

“We are a regulatory agency, but we are not confiscatory,” Paje said.

Astoveza said the identities of illegal loggers were “widely known” in General Nakar and “it seemed they have nothing to fear because a powerful official has been protecting them.” Delfin T. Mallari Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon