CEBU, Philippines - Consolacion Mayor Avelino Gungob and seven of his job order employees were charged with theft of minerals before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas following the seizure of three dump trucks owned by the town that were used in illegal quarrying operations.
The seven job order employees of Consolacion who were also charged by the National Bureau of Investigation for violation of Section 103 of the Mining Act of 1995, otherwise known as the republic Act 7942, were Beda Comiso, Leonardo Capao Jr., Dionito Mangilaya, Juanito Gerundio Jr., Nicarter Yray, Glecerio Galo and Joebeboy Dayon.
Comiso, Beda and Mangilaya were driving the government-owned dump trucks loaded with limestone filling materials that the other respondents quarried in barangay Garing upon the instruction of Gungob when the joint operatives of the NBI, police and the military caught them last November 26.
The law enforcers were acting upon the request of provincial treasurer Roy Salubre to monitor the illegal extraction and hauling of mineral products within the municipality of Consolacion.
During the operation three dump trucks filled with limestone filling materials were apprehended by the team. The job order employees who were caught in the act of quarrying claimed that they were just following orders from the mayor.
The filling materials were to be dumped to sitio Mapolo, Garing and at the Consolacion Government Center in barangay Cansaga.
The investigation conducted by the NBI however revealed that Gungob did not have the necessary permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to extract and haul limestone materials.
Gungob had been warned several times by the provincial government to stop his illegal quarrying operations but the latter reportedly ignored the warnings. – Fred P. Languido/BRP (FREEMAN NEWS)