Iligan City blast linked to illegal logging

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines – The grenade explosion here last Saturday that killed two persons and wounded at least 30 others has been linked to illegal logging activities in hinterland barangays, authorities said yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Celso Regencia, city police chief, said one of the survivors, who is now a witness, has admitted that he was the target of the grenade throwing to silence him.

The survivor, now under police security in a hospital, said he was supposed to reveal all illegal logging activities in the city’s hinterland barangays during a climate change summit held here last Tuesday.

The climate change summit, organized by non-government groups, was held four months after tropical storm “Sendong” pummeled the city last December, killing at least 600 people, with 500 others missing and presumed dead, and dislocating nearly 20,000 villagers.

The devastating flood was largely blamed on illegal logging, as logs were swept downstream in Mandulog River.

Iligan lone district Rep. Vicente Belmonte Jr. and Mayor Lawrence Cruz have put up P300,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the grenade throwers.

The city police chief is reportedly facing relief from his post because of the incident.