Village captain wants all buri trees in the neighborhood chopped down

CEBU, Philippines - Following the death of three persons Monday, the barangay captain of Labogon, Mandaue City wants all buri trees cut down in the barangay.

Barangay Labogon captain Damaso Tumulak yesterday said 14 buri trees have been cut down and the remaining ones still worry him and the barangay might hire tree cutters.

He said these buri trees are in Sitio San Jose 1 & 2 and in the middle of the Sot Rosario Village.

Tumulak said the 15-meter-five-ton buri tree that fell on the houses of the Dimpas and Terrodias families in sitio Kalubihan has not been touched yet.

He said this will only be cleared once the investigation is finished and the bodies buried in cemeteries.

He said the barangay council will decide on the amount it would extend to the families of victims.

Tumulak earlier said the barangay might give P5,000 to each victim.

Three people died shortly past midnight Monday when a huge buri tree fell on their houses, pinning three people to death.

The dead were identified as Romeo Dimpas, 44, his wife Teresita, 45, and their neighbor Richard Terrodias.