The governor of Albay denied Wednesday that quarrying caused the recent flooding in the province, which President Rodrigo Duterte ordered to be investigated.

"Hindi totoo iyan dumadaan muna iyan sa DENR para kumuha ng environmental certificate," said Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara.

(That is true because it passes environment department first so they)

It has been over a week since Duterte ordered a probe into the quarrying in Guinobatan town, after rains from super typhoon Rolly triggered landslides of volcanic ash from nearby Mt. Mayon, he noted.

"Nagpadala na sila ng investigative task force bakit hindi pa lumalabas iyong sa task force para iyon ang susundin namin. Eh matagal na iyon, more than one week na wala iyong investigation report," he said during a government public briefing.

(They have sent an investigative task force but why hasn't its finding been released so we could follow it? It has been more than one week, the investigation report is not yet here.)

Albay and Catanduanes bore the brunt of super typhoon Rolly in early November. Last week, typhoon Ulysses also hit Albay.

About 40 percent of the province has no power and some areas were still flooded as of Thursday, forcing residents to rely on water lorries and purifiers, said Bichara.

Video courtesy of PTV