Politicians ‘operate small-scale mining’ in Davao

By Ben Tesiorna

Tuesday, July 24, 2012
MATI CITY – Some politicians and known small-scale miners in Davao Region are allegedly involved in mining operation in a gold-rush site Davao Oriental, a City Government-formed task force reported on Monday.
Eddie Cobacha, Environment and Natural Resources officer of this city, said several known personalities have tunnels in the gold-rush site bordering Barangay Don Salvador Lopez in Mati City and Tarragona town.
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Cobacha, along with other task force members, went to the gold-rush site last July 9, upon order of Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat.

Cobacha said the task force members met with the Don Salvador Lopez village chief, who said big mining owners and groups like Tata Sala, Chong Uy, Golden Palace of Tagum City and owners from Zamboanga, Calapagan and Maragusan are in the area.
He added that a bulldozer working in roads is allegedly operated by incumbent Cateel Mayor Camilo Nuñez. “There were five Saddam trucks, full with ore allegedly owned by the mayor, transporting the said mineral to Barangay Marayag, Lupon."
There are about 100 tunnels and around three to five thousand people in the mining area. The official also said unregistered motorcycles are plying the route from this city to the mining area.
Cobacha said most of the small-scale miners in the area came from Maragusan, Pantukan in Compostela Valley, and Calapagan in Lupon.
Photos taken by the task force also showed several mining equipments and tailings pond used and constructed by small-scale miners.
Cobacha also said there was indiscriminate cutting of trees in the villages, and the trees were used in the mining operation inside the tunnels.
He added that the mining operation in the mountain is also affecting two rivers – the picturesque Dahican Beach and Mayo Bay, which is home to endangered manatees, marine turtles, dolphins and whale sharks.
Mayor Rabat formed the task force following a report from the village chief of Don Salvador Lopez.
Rabat's Executive Order No. 60-02-12 was issued on Thursday, July 5; and calls for the creation of a fact-finding team composed of officials from the city environment office, city engineers, city health, city planning, and the city disaster risk reduction management.
Rabat said the task force's other main concerns are peace, order and security, health and sanitation, and disaster risk assessment.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Davao Region earlier issued a cease and desist order on all small-scale mining operations in the tri-boundaries of Mati City, Manay and Tarragona, in particular the area where the tenement of the Oro East Mining Company Inc. is located.
The order came after thousands of diggers were reportedly trooping in the area to search for gold.
Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon also issued a cease and desist order on all small-scale mining activities inside a mining area in Sitio Bangol, Tarragona, last week.
The order stemmed from the Executive Order No. 12, issued by the governor last July 17, after consultation with the police, the military and the local officials.
In the said order, miners have only until July 26, 2012 to haul all their equipments and ore out of the mining site without paying any dues to the local government.
After the deadline, the Provincial Government will implement the full closure of all small-scale mining tunnels. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on July 24, 2012.
Politicians ‘operate small-scale mining’ in Davao