PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—Environment Secretary Gina Lopez on Wednesday ordered the demolition of structures in a 5-hectare property illegally carved out of a mangrove area along the coastal outskirts of the city center.

Lopez also called out local officials for allowing the rampant cutting of mangroves in Barangay San Manuel and accused acting city police chief, Supt. Ruben Sarmiento, of allegedly “coddling” the developer of the property, where a subdivision would be built.

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Lopez, in a post on her Facebook account, said a team from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) removed fences and other structures in the area, including at least 100 houses.

Palawan province is covered by a special proclamation as a mangrove reservation, making any type of development or conversion of mangrove areas illegal.

Lopez railed at the inaction of city officials and the police on the destruction of swaths of mangroves by illegal occupants that had gone unabated in the last five years, even after complaints have been filed by local barangay officials.

Sarmiento, however, denied Lopez’s accusation he was coddling the group that built houses in San Manuel’s mangrove area.

He said the local police failed to grant the DENR’s request for assistance because it did not receive a clearance from the Philippine National Police headquarters.

Lopez led the demolition after the matter was brought to her attention by barangay officials and local DENR officials raising concern on the rampant cutting of mangroves in San Manuel.

“We found [remains] of mangroves and corals piled up as a foundation for the subdivision they were building. This is unacceptable,” Lopez said.

Ramon Dagot, a village council member, said they reported the destruction of the mangroves to the city government, “but the city… did not lift a finger.”

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