Review on dev't permits urged to stop illegal quarry fronts

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Acting Mayor Michael Rama called for a review on all recently issued development permits to make sure these are not made as fronts for illegal quarry.

Rama in recent interviews said he is tasking a team to review all development permits issued following reports of illegal quarry in the mountain barangays.

“There are reports in some places nga mas daghan ang quarrying kay sa fencing, gihimo nga front lang ba,” Rama said.

There are unconfirmed reports of such activities in barangays Pulangbato and Talamban.

Rama said he will not hesitate to cancel development permits that were found to be abused.

“The government is very serious in setting up a program to save the environment so that there will be no landslides and to mitigate the effects of typhoons and bad weather,” Rama said.

Among the other things he mentioned earlier are the removal of illegal structures in the coastlines and riverbanks, an aim of the Coastal Management Board.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña in June this year deputized barangay tanods and officials to apprehend illegal mining or quarrying activities within the city.

In an Executive Order issued recently through city administrator Francisco Fernandez, the mayor said that the deputation is pursuant to the Cebu City Mining Ordinance which authorized the deployment of people to police the transport of minerals, its products, arrest offenders and confiscate these contrabands.

The deputation will be primarily within barangay officials and tanods prior to the recruitment of other residents. A non-government organization that is duly authorized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources are also allowed to be deputized.

The order said that deputized members will continuously monitor the movement of illegal quarry violators and keep a record of its apprehension. Aside from that, its leader is also directed to immediately execute a sworn statement or affidavit surrounding the facts of the apprehension and file with the proper court the complaint for violation of the City Mining Ordinance against the offenders.

The effectivity of their deputation shall only be for one year. – Ferliza C. Contratista/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)