President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the suspension of several logging concessions in the Zamboanga Peninsula following the weather disturbances that hit the region recently resulting in the death of hundreds of persons.

Duterte issued the directive to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources during a Cabinet meeting on Monday in Malacanang.

"The president also ordered several logging concessions in Zamboanga Peninsula to be suspended. This after he was appraised of concerns of indigenous populations that they have been displaced by logging operations of some companies," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

He said Duterte observed it was the "widespread logging" responsible for the flashfloods in Mindanao when Tropical Storm "Vinta" and Tropical Depression "Urduja" hit some parts of the country, including Zamboanga Peninsula, last December.

Roque said the order to suspend the logging concessions was without prejudice to the investigation to be conducted. Celerina Monte/DMS