DENR clears Benguet Corp.
Reports submitted yesterday to the DENR regional office from the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (PENRO), Community Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO) and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) said all the allegations hurled by Lomboy Village Chair Danilo Merced and Sta. Cruz, Zambales Mayor Luisito Marty against BC were unfounded.
Both officials also reportedly lodged a complaint to DENR Secretary Lito Atienza on the same issue.
But according to BC legal consultant, Atty. Reynaldo Mendoza, the results of their own probe on the allegations is almost the same with the outcome of the investigation conducted earlier by the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) on the same complaint.
The PMRB had said the charges against BC were baseless and recommended that the case be closed.
The findings of the PMRB was confirmed by EMB-R3, PENRO, CENRO and Bantay Kalikasan representatives and barangay tanods headed by Wilson Mediario, who found the allegations baseless after conducting investigation.
Contrary to the allegation of
In the course of the investigators’ site inspection and in interviews with barangay tanods of Lomboy, it was also revealed that Benguet is constructing its own haul roads in Barangay Guisguis and is not using the barangay roads as entry or exit for its operations.
It was likewise learned that no mining company had operated in Barangay Lomboy from December 2006 to March 2007, “except A3 UNA Mining Corp.,” which was discovered as the one responsible for the dust and dirt pollution in the said barangay. – Ric Sapnu
- Latest
- Trending
