Chainsaws should be confiscated
By ANTONIO M. REYES

It was former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yu who said that one of our biggest problems was we had such short memories and did not learn from history.

He cited as an example the Marcos family who were forced to flee the country by people’s power, but were now back in the country, elected to positions of power and influence. One of them, he noted, was even eyeing the presidency and could actually win it.

It reminded me of a conversation I had a few years ago with Hinundayan Mayor Evelyn Lee (one of our more progressive local chief executives) who said the only way we could stop the destruction of our rain forests was by confiscating the illegal chainsaws that were proliferating in the province.

She told me she would request their municipal council to pass a resolution asking the provincial government to authorize all local government units in Southern Leyte to confiscate all non-documented chainsaws in the province. I don’t know what has happened since then, but I assume the resolution was not approved, otherwise we wouldn’t be hearing the deadly sound of chainsaws every day right here in the city.

Having read President Aquino’s Executive Order number 23 which he signed last February declaring an indefinite log ban in the country, I asked PNP Provincial Director Cuevillas and City Police Chief Enage if they knew about it, and both said they did, and would enforce it but required a formal directive from the provincial governor to do so.

I mentioned this to Congressman Roger Mercado and he fully supported the proposal but needed to study its legal implications before asking the Provincial Board and City Council to implement it. Personally, I saw nothing wrong with law enforcers asking chainsaw owners if they had a permit for the deadly instrument. To me it was like a traffic policemen asking a delinquent driver for his driver’s license, and if he didn’t have one, impounding his vehicle until he paid a fine for the offense.

If we still cannot understand why the proliferation of chainsaws in Southern Leyte should be controlled - then we must prepare for the day when a mega flashflood like the one which ravaged Cagayan de Oro recently will occur at Sogod’s Subang Daku or Canturing River which are already heavily silted.

But I’m Sure Pedro Sorio and Dodie Hernandez know this and are now busy informing our local officials about Executive Order 23 and why it should be imposed immediately. For in the final analysis, the best way to prevent a disaster, is to make sure it does not happen.

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