TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte Governor Jericho “Icot” Petilla has strongly denied involvement in any illegal logging activity in the province.

Gov. Petilla was quoted by Provincial Administrator Vincent Emnas as saying that the allegation of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago that he is involved, directly or indirectly, to illegal activity in the province was “unfair and devoid of any evidence.”

“It was unfair for the goods senator to involve the governor to this illegal activity. She should have checked her information as clearly, this allegation was devoid of any evidence,” Emnas told Leyte Samar Daily Express.

“She should be more factual about this thing. It was unfortunate that one of those she mentioned was the governor and the former governor,’ he added.

The feisty senator, in her privilege speech last Monday, charged that 43 former and incumbent governors in the country were involved or responsible of illegal activity in their respective provinces. According to her, these local government officials deserve to be put in jail.

Two of the governors mentioned by Santiago were Petilla and former governor and now Rep. Remedios Petilla, mother of the incumbent governor. The governor, it was learned from Emnas, was in Manila for some official functions.

Emnas, a cousin of the governor, said that both Gov. Petilla and the former governor are “pro-environment.”

“In fact, they laid down policies in so far as preserving the forest of the province. And one of which was use box culvert or cement in the construction of bridges and to put a stop on (the construction of) timber bridges,” he said.

In doping this, the provincial administrator told Express, forested areas in the province could be preserved.

Emnas also said that the governor is closely coordinating with the officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources based in the region in so far as apprehending those engaged in this illegal activity.

Without citing any figure, Emnas said that teams from the DENR and the provincial government had apprehended individuals who were involved in the illegal logging activity in the province .