Total log ban imposed in ARMM

MARAWI CITY — President Arroyo said yesterday all logging permits issued in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will be revoked as a total logging ban is imposed in the region.

The President, who was here yesterday, said ARMM Gov. Parouk Hussin had made clear his total logging ban policy and instructed the ARMM-Department of Environment and Natural Resources to void all logging permits issued without his knowledge.

"There is no need to check whether they have a logging permit. Nobody has a logging permit. Logging permits that were issued behind his back are all going to be revoked," the President said as she commended those behind the seizure of illegal logs here.

"I would like to thank our law enforcers and I would like to thank Gov. Hussin for his very strong policy of a total log ban... Yesterday (Wednesday), Gov. Hussin and I flew from Maguindanao to Lanao and what we saw were all denuded mountains," she said.

Mrs. Arroyo said the total logging ban was lifted in the Caraga region (Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur) because the mountains there have been replanted unlike in the ARMM.