LEGAZPI CITY – Albay Governor Joey S. Salceda on Tuesday issued a strong warning against a local official who is reportedly escorting tourists within the designated danger zone around Mayon Volcano.

Disaster officials were also furious after receiving reports that City Councilor Celoy Chan has been allegedly renting his all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to foreign tourists.

“It’s stupidity,” said Salceda. “We have been spending a lot of money and exerting all our efforts to clear the danger zones and there he is, disregarding what was agreed upon.”

"If he does not stop, we will take action against him," the governor warned.

The management of Lignon Hill, a known view deck for tourists wanting to get a glimpse of the magnificence of Mayon Volcano was reportedly awarded by the Albay government to Chan. Salceda warned that he will cancel the contract if the councilor continues with his “disaster tourism” ventures.

"We will recall the management contract if he goes on with this... I demand an apology from him," the governor added.

Chan denied allowing foreigners to the danger zones using his ATVs, explaining that their routes were outside the declared danger zones.

“I will not endanger the life of any person, especially tourists. As an elected official, I have the responsibility to protect them. What I’m doing is to promote local tourism here, it just so happened that there seems to be a misinformation regarding this matter,” said Chan.

Chan explained that they are not escorting the foreigners to the lava fronts but only to hardened volcanic materials from previous eruptions.

Meanwhile, authorities disclosed four deaths in the evacuation camps around the volcano but maintained there is still no casualty arising from Mayon-related activities since the deaths were caused by pre-existing health conditions.

A 65-year-old woman from Buyuan town was the first death recorded since evacuations began December 14. Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office officials said Eladia Perez, who was found dead by her daughter, suffered a heart attack.

A three-year-old boy from Camalig, Joselito Guillen Jr., died from aspiration due to worm infection.

"The kid was even playing during the daytime but in the early evening, his cousins noted that he had an episode of LBM and vomiting. No consultation was done. Instead, the kid was brought to a quack doctor. The child slept until he was discovered dead by his 16-year- old sister," provincial health officer Dr. Luis Domingo Mendoza said.

Authorities declined to give the identities of the barangay captain and a 68-year-old woman who also died.

Salceda said the barangay captain was from Buyuan town and suffered a heart attack while overseeing evacuation activities while the woman was brought to the JB Duran Memorial Hospital where she died from congestive heart failure.

The governor has given financial assistance to the families of the deceased.

The Commission on Human Rights, for its part, said the government should evacuate residents in the danger zone around Mayon and prevent "disaster tourists" from trekking to its crater.

In an advisory Tuesday, CHR Chairwoman Leila M. de Lima said the commission “takes note of the measures already taken by the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), the provincial government of Albay, and other government bodies, including the evacuation of households within a specified zone and the establishment of evacuation centers.”

“Another challenge is that some individuals are even deliberately making their way towards the danger zone as ‘disaster tourists’ for the sheer thrill-seeking delight of seeing volcanic eruptions up close.'' (With a report from Marvyn Benaning)