'Most landslide fatalities were outsiders'

MANILA, Philippines - Most of the fatalities retrieved from mine sites that were buried in landslides in Barangay Napnapan, Pantukan, Compostela Valley were outsiders, the government said yesterday.

Benito Ramos, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director, said as of yesterday, out of the 31 victims recovered in Sitio Diat, 26 were not natives of Compostela Valley. 

One of the dead small-scale miners was a native of Mountain Province, Ramos said.

Ramos, who was in Pantukan yesterday, said he could not just release the P10,000 cash assistance to the families of the dead, without the necessary documentation. 

“Out of the 31 fatalities, only four were from Pantukan,” he said.

“How can we relocate these people hindi naman sila taga rito na pagdumating dito ay hindi man lamang nagpaparehistro sa bayan or sa barangay.” (They have not even registered with the town or barangay).

Ramos said he had already made the necessary coordination with local officials of Mountain Province for the shipment of the dead miner’s body to his family.

“We do not know now how many of the small-scale miners are from Luzon and other areas of Mindanao who are still missing,” he said.

“Our official count of the missing miners here is only  based on official records of the municipal government’s registered local miners.”

Ramos said it would only be rational for the national government to order the total closure of all mining sites and a stop to all small-scale mining activities in Compostela Valley.

The area has already been declared a danger zone by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, he added.

The presence of outsiders in Compostela Valley is reportedly being financed by illegal mining operators believed to be also involved in smuggling gold to Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and China.

Military sources said these gold smugglers have well-entrenched connections in key government offices.

“Baka maliliit lang na isda ang mabibingwit nyan (investigation), pero yong mga mining vultures ay tuloy pa rin ang operations,” one source said. (Only the small fry get caught while the big fish continue operations).“Ngayon lang yan titigil dahil may disgrasya.” (It will only stop now after the accident).

Mayor to be probed

Compostela Valley Gov. Arturo Uy is creating an independent commission to look into the culpability of Pantukan Mayor Celso Sarenas in the landslide that killed more than 31 people.

Uy said the commission will be tentatively comprised of representatives from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Office of Civil Defense, the chairman of the Committee on Environment of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and a representative of a non-governmental organization.

It will focus on determining who will be held liable for the tragedy, he added.

Uy said he has received reliable information

that Sarenas failed to enforce the local government’s “no habitation policy” in Sitio Diat, Barangay Napnapan because he himself maintains mine tunnels in the area.

“I have yet to verify it. If this is true, dapat masuspend yan,” Uy said. (He should be suspended if allegations are true).

Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said heads must roll in the latest landslide in Pantukan.

Robredo said he will first form a team to look into the culpability of Sarenas for failing to enforce the no habitation policy.

“Anything is possible here,” he said, adding due process will be observed.

Uy was scheduled to meet with President Aquino yesterday afternoon to discuss the Pantukan landslide. However, Aquino canceled his trip to Davao City. –With Edith Regalado