By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
LAOAG CITY—Ilocos Norte
government officials impounded at least 11 heavy equipment bearing the markings
“FVEspiritu Builders” at the Solsona police station for alleged unsystematic
quarrying along the Bagbag River in the eastern most part of the province. Local
environment officials here said the seized equipment allegedly belongs to
Dumalneg vice mayor Francis Espiritu.
The items include backhoes,
payloaders, transit mixers and screens among others.
In a radio interview, Atty.
Ferdinand Ignacio, Mr. Espiritu’s legal counsel insisted there is no illegal
quarrying in the area. He stressed that a contractor is using
the said units for the
ongoing PHP810 million flood control project in Solsona. The project commenced
in 2017.
Through an executive session
at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on June 5, 2018, SP member Mariano “Nonong” V. Marcos
II, chairperson of the committee on environment, said he called for a meeting
to discuss in detail what is best way to counteract the continued theft of
minerals in the province.
Following the confiscation of
the equipment, SP member Vicentito “Toto” M. Lazo, who is a major sponsor of the
quarry ordinance of Ilocos Norte said, “[W]e should start showing to the
concerned stakeholders that the Ilocos Norte government means serious business
in terms of quarrying.”
Estrella Sacro, a
representative from the Environment and Natural Resources Office explained that
residents living near the river when there are unsystematic quarrying
activities face possible loss of lives, livelihood and property during heavy
rains or typhoon.
“If quarrying is not done in
the concept of responsible mining, it may harm the low-lying areas and it is
also detrimental to natural habitat,” Ms. Sacro said saying there concerned
officials must conduct a full-scale investigation on the matter.
Barely three weeks after the
DENR suspended the quarry operations at the Bolo river in the first district of
Ilocos Norte, it appears that illegal quarrying activities are still prevalent
in Ilocos rivers.
“When we visited the Bagbag River,
it is much to our surprise that there’s massive illegal quarrying activities,”
said Mr. Marcos which led to the confiscation of Espiritu’s equipment.
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