MANILA, Philippines — Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu has ordered the relief of the chief and three other officials of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in Central Visayas in connection with a landslide in Naga City, Cebu that left at least 20 people dead and dozens missing last Thursday. “There is also a need to check on surrounding communities as far as safety is concerned,” he said. The official also issued a cease and desist order to stop operations of APO Cement until investigation is completed and quarry sites are assessed. “I will be sending investigation team to conduct thorough investigation on why and how it happened and what should be done to address the issue,” Cimatu said. To prevent a similar incident from happening, he ordered the MGB and the Environmental Management Bureau central office to create a team composed of technical personnel from the two agencies to be headed by the MGB.

Source: Philippine Star September 21, 2018 15:56 UTC