Avoidable tragedy: Tulfo has many questions on deadly Davao de Oro landslide
At A Glance
- Deputy Majority Leader ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo is seeking a House investigation on the deadly Davao de Oro landslide, which according to him is a tragedy that could have been avoided.
ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (Facebook)
Deputy Majority Leader ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo is seeking a House investigation on the deadly Davao de Oro landslide, which according to him is a tragedy that could have been avoided.
In a privilege speech Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 13, Tulfo announced the filling of House Resolution (HR) No.1586.
Tulfo, the deputy majority leader for communications filed the measure along with Davao de Oro 2nd district Rep. Ruwel Peter Gonzaga and four other House members.
Over 60 people have perished due to the incident. Lawmakers want to know how the death toll reached such figure despite the area being a "no build zone”.
“What I cannot understand at this point is that this catastrophe could have been avoided if only laws were strictly implemented,” Tulfo said, referring to the no build zone status.
“Ang tanong, bakit may tao pa rin doon at hinayaan lang sila na manirahan sa lugar kahit na gumuguho ang lupa nito? Somebody has to take responsibility over this tragedy,” he pointed out.
(The question is why were people allowed to live there despite the soil erosion.)
“Despite the implementation of the 'no build zone' policy, numerous residential structures and establishments were erected within the prohibited area, contributing to the heightened risk and severity of the landslide incident,” the lawmakers said in the resolution.
The resolution also said that the tragedy highlighted the need for a thorough review of existing laws, regulations, and policies governing land use, environmental protection, and disaster risk reduction, particularly those administered by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“It is imperative to investigate the circumstances surrounding the landslide, including the factors that led to the violation of the “no build zone” policy and the enforcement mechanisms employed by the relevant authorities,” the solons added.