CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has rejected the recommendation of the City Mining and Regulatory Board to stop all quarry operations and other site developments within the city pending results of the actual survey.
This is to find out whether all of them are compliant with the proper procedures.
“Akong gipa-review nila og balik ang dukomento. Kon moisyu gud ta og cease and desist order alang sa tanan tabla ra og gisunog nato ang balay tungod lang sa pagpangita sa usa lang ka ilaga. Dili man kana mao,” Rama said.
According to the Mayor, the cease and desist order will be issued only to those quarry operators or haulers who commit violations of law.
City Mining and Regulatory Board chairman Renato Mercado agreed that suspending all quarry-related operations might be considered “sweeping.”
Mercado said they will make another recommendation to Rama already with the names of those who are found to have committed violations. The Mayor is supporting Mercado’s move to deputize barangay officials and other private individuals to help monitor illegal quarry operations.
The previous mining board chairman, Councilor Augustus Pe Jr., also hired deputized agents before but most of them are already inactive prompting the new chairman to recommend some persons to deputize.
The previous board was earlier criticized because of its minimal performance and failure to prevent illegal quarry operations.
But Pe said he was able to contribute a little over P1 million to the city’s income from fines. He said he was able to make 122 apprehensions since November last year until June 30, 2011. - (THE FREEMAN)