The Chief Executive visits Enan Chiong Activity Center (ECAC) that serves as a temporary evacuation center for at least 1,500 individuals, or around 400 families, of Sitio Sindulan, Barangay Tinaan after a forced evacuation was ordered by the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Naga City.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu ordered the immediate relief of four (4) top officials of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 7 (Central Visayas) following the massive massive landslide.
"On orders of the President (Rodrigo Duterte), I'm here to see for myself the situation and determine what my department must do to avert another incident, at the same time to find out what are the lapses of the DENR personnel in Central Visayas," Cimatu said while waiting for Duterte's arrival to comfort the victims.
He said he has created an investigation team to carry out the task.
"I'm also relieving the top leadership of MGB in Region 7 while an investigation is being conducted. I will be sending a team from Manila to conduct a thorough and independent investigation," he added.
Relieved were MGB-7 Director Loreto Alburo, chief finance and administrative officer Gerry Mahusay, chief geologist Al Emil Berador, and supervising geologist Dennis Aleta.
On August 29, a day after some cracks were noticed at the landslide site in Barangay Tinaan, Naga City, Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against Apo Land and Quarry Corp. (ALQC) to stop operations, and to continuously monitor Sitio Tagaytay and its neighboring areas, including ground zero in Sitio Sindulan.
Six days later, the city government received a letter from MGB-7 Director Alburo stating that the cracks and fissures on the subject site is a natural phenomenon and not related to the mining operation of ALQC.
On the basis of the clearance issued by MGB-7, Chiong lifted the CDO on Sept. 6 on the condition that ALQC would observe the highest standard of safety in its quarry activities and continue monitoring the ground fissures.
Chiong said she accepts responsibility for what happened two weeks after the lifting of the CDO and she's not pointing an accusing finger at anybody, but denied the MGB-7 had warned them that Sitio Sindulan was landslide-prone.
"We were not informed that Sindulan was landslide-prone, contrary to MGB's claim. But I'm not pointing a finger (at anybody). I own the responsibility," she said.
Upon orders of the President, Cimatu also ordered a reassessment of all quarrying operations across the country.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) extends their assistance to those affected by food and medical aid.
Based on the latest information, there are twenty-nine (29) confirmed casualties. Authorities continue with their search and rescue operation as there are dozens feared trapped below the rubbles. [Presidential Communications (Government of the Philippines and Luel Galarpe, PNA]
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