By Jocelyn P. Alvarez
ZAMBOANGA CITY - The
Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB)-9 together with representatives from the
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, concerned barangay tanods, members
of Philippine National Police (PNP) of Pagadian City, military army from the 53rd Infantry Division Tactical
Operation recently cracked down illegal miners operating in the two adjacent
barangays Deborok and
Lourdes, Pagadian City.
The crack
down was by virtue of the Cease and Desist Order (CDO) served on
June 25, 2015.
Emma Deverala,
MGB-9 information officer, in an interview said after quite sometime of
operation of illegal small-scale mining in the said areas, the activity has finally
come to an end.
“Medyo matagal na rin yan sila nag o-operate pero dati puro
heresy lang, no formal complaint. Pero this time around, may letter of
complaint na talaga galing sa IP group (They have been operating for quite sometime, but it was all
heresy since there was formal complaint. This time a letter-complaint was filed
by an IP group), that’s why MGB was able to act immediately on it, that’s why MGB was able to act immediately
on it,” Deverala said.
“When the Team
arrived in the illegal mining areas where the active tunnels were located, mine
workers were nowhere to be found while there were implications that they had only
left the place a bit earlier when the Team had arrived,” Deverala recounted.
Deverala said the tunnels
that were developed by small-scale miners for ore extraction were nailed with
lumbers on the portals, chained with padlocks to permanently close the tunnels,
restrict entry and prevent further mining activities.
Deverala also disclosed that
out of the 22 tunnels inventoried that were developed by the illegal
small-scale miners, only 14 were active while 8 were considered abandoned since
they were already covered with shrubs.