MANILA, Philippines — The government is looking at the continued logging operations of one of the country’s biggest construction and real estate empires that reportedly caused severe damages during the typhoons that hit Mindanao shortly before 2017 ended.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, who was in Zamboanga Peninsula late last week for relief operations, said residents of Zamboanga del Norte are calling on President Duterte to order an investigation on the continued logging operations in the mountain range of the area.

“People are blaming the company, Southern Cotabato Development and Construction Inc. (Sodeco) reportedly owned by the Consunji family and involved in large-scale logging operations in the mountains of the peninsula, for the flash floods which swept away over 100 houses at the height of Typhoon Vinta which hit Northern Mindanao,” Piñol said.

“We flew over the area and saw proofs of massive deforestation in the Zamboanga Mountain Range just above the coastal towns affected by the flash floods. There were patches planted to oil palm which I believe is being used as an excuse to justify the clearing of the forests under an Integrated Social Forestry license granted to the company in 2006,” he said.

Sought for comment, mother company DMCI said its unit’s operations are very limited.

“Flooding occurred in a very extensive area. Almost the whole Mindanao and Visayas. Our operations are very small and limited,” DMCI chairman Isidro Consunji said in a text message to The STAR.

Furthermore, Piñol said massive agricultural damage and deaths were reported in several towns of Sibuco, Sirawai, Siocon and Baliguian which along with Sibuco belong to the Triple S-B cluster of towns located in the western portion of the elongated coastal province of Zamboanga del Norte.

“Sirawai Mayor Garmar Janihim who met up with us said he and the other mayors of the Triple S-B towns have long petitioned against the logging operations of Sodeco in the mountains upstream of their towns,” Piñol said.

“They have asked for explanations from previous officials of the (DENR) why in spite of the national policy banning logging totally in the country, a corporation has continued cutting down logs in the mountains of Zamboanga Peninsula,” he added.

While the matter is a primary concern of the DENR, which issued the permit to the company, Piñol said he would raise the issue to the President during today’s Cabinet meeting.