Keep people out of Mayon danger zone, PNP asked

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — The Philippine National Police should help ensure that the six-kilometer permanent danger zone of Mayon Volcano is off-limits to people, officials said yesterday.

Cedric Daep, chief of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office, said they would ask the police to strictly enforce the “no-man’s land” policy within the danger zone amid persistent reports that some residents have been returning to their homes.

Daep said aerial surveys also confirmed quarrying activities around the volcano even though it is erupting.

Antonio Ludovice, Albay provincial health officer, said the common excuse given by residents who return to their homes is to take a shower, wash their clothes or feed their pigs.

Officials said to feed the pigs was a common alibi of evacuees who returned to their homes when Mayon erupted in 2014.

“We are warning those who would defy our advisory to stay out of the six-kilometer permanent danger zone. We could not penalize them, but Mayon will. It will be death penalty,” Daep said.

He warned residents against massive destruction of property and loss of lives if they would trapped in their homes in the event of lahar flow.

“Lahar…is the biggest threat if populated communities will be hit due to irresponsible quarrying and dredging within the danger zone,” Daep said.

He said they would invite personnel of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office to shed light on quarrying activities around Mayon.

Ed Laguerta, Mayon’s resident volcanologist, said volcanic materials extruded by the volcano have reached 67 million cubic meters, with 48.7 million cubic meters of lava and 13.2 million cubic meters of rock fragments.

Laguerta said 18.3 million cubic meters of volcanic materials could be mobilized and affect communities in the danger zone during heavy rains. He said lahar flowed nine kilometers in the Binaya channel due to moderate to heavy rains in the past three days.

Laguerta said Mayon’s level of unrest remains high, citing intense lava flow, lava fountaining, swelling of the surface of the volcano and above normal sulfur dioxide emissions.– With Celso Amo