CEBU, Philippines – Cebu Provincial Board member Victor Maambong has inquired with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Region 7 regarding the status of quarrying in the town of Consolacion as he has been receiving complaints from local residents that the road opening project is destroying, rather than developing, their place.
Maambong asked if the bureau has already legalized the operation of the town as reports say quarrying is ongoing despite the recent cease-and-desist order from the MGB asking Mayor Avelino Gungob to stop the alleged illegal earthmoving or quarrying operations from the road opening project in barangay Danlag.
MGB-7 regional director Roger de Dios clarified that the CDO still stands against Gungob which means that the quarrying of the limestone materials that are all excesses of the road project is unlawful.
Yet, de Dios said that his office continues to receive reports that Gungob has violated the order and just transferred the operation in barangay Garing.
De Dios said that Gungob even told them that the quarrying could not be stopped because they direly need filling materials for the reclamation project of the town.
In all angles, de Dios said, the quarrying in barangays Garing and Danlag is considered illegal because the town has not secured the necessary permits to conduct such.
First, de Dios said, the town has not secured a gratuitous permit from the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office which will allow them to use the excess of a government project for special purposes.
Second, the reclamation project of the town, which is for the purpose of building a Government Center in barangay Nangka, has not yet gained approval from the Forest Management Bureau.
Yet, the area, which was originally part of a river, has already been filled while it should not be since the permit to reclaim is yet to be served.
De Dios said that the project was given an Environmental Compliance Certificate that covers only 20 hectares. But when MGB inspected the area, more than 20 hectares are already filled which proves another violation of the ECC.
The road opening project in Danlag and Garing, on the other hand, is wider than what was allowed under its ECC.
Maambong said that the project has done serious environmental impacts in the place that even the provincial roads, to which the province had spent millions for development, were already damaged.
De Dios said that the task to enforce penalties for violation of the law on small scale mining is already devolved to the local government units. MGB’s job is to assist in monitoring and in issuing of CDOs if necessary.
De Dios, anyway, asked the province help to arrest Gungob.
Maambong suggested for an entrapment using National Bureau of Investigation personnel.
De Dios lamented that police personnel could not be trusted during apprehension operations because they are not very much cooperative and determined. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)