MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday that the implementation and enforcement of laws banning illegal logging must become “stricter,” attributing landslides during typhoons to such unlawful activities.
Marcos made this pronouncement during an aerial inspection of areas affected by severe tropical storm Enteng, where he observed several mountains stripped bare of trees due to illegal logging.
According to Marcos, the tree logging in these mountains was what led to the landslides that affected several areas, including Antipolo and Rizal.
“We have to be much stricter about it. We cannot allow that … because now it’s not a question of illegal activities, it’s life and death already, and daming namamatay dahil sa ginagawa nila (so many people are dying because of what they are doing),” said Marcos in a chance interview during the inspection.
“So we have to be more… the laws are all there, it’s the implementation and enforcement,” he added.
The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) earlier said that 14 incidents of landslides were recorded in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas amid the effects of Enteng.
One incident in Antipolo killed three individuals — two of whom were minors, and the other a pregnant woman.
READ: Tropical storm Enteng triggers landslides in Philippines, 11 dead