VICTORIAS CITY, Negros Occidental – Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos said he has asked the mayor of Sagbayan town in Bohol province to explain why a resort was allowed inside the Chocolate Hills, a protected area.

Abalos, who was here Thursday, March 14, to inaugurate a rehabilitation center for drug dependents and the Victorias City Command and Evacuation Center, said he has instructed the agency's legal division to write the concerned local government unit.

Netizens were furious after the controversial construction of illegal and informal structures including swimming pools, slides, and cottages under Captain's Peak Garden and Resort in Sagbayan town and Bud Agta in Carmen town, which were too close to the feet of the hills, went viral on social media.

The video of the resort that was posted on social media drew flak from netizens.

Netizens pointed out that the commercial development is done within a protected area, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) heritage site, and a declared geological park.

The resort, meanwhile, has temporarily closed its operations in compliance with the directives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for maintenance and environmental preservation efforts.*