Cops seize mining equipment in Oro, Misamis Oriental

OPERATIVES of Opol Municipal Police Station in Misamis Oriental confiscated three hydraulic equipment used in illegal small-scale mining activities in Barangays Taglimao in Cagayan de Oro and Tingalan in Opol, in an operation conducted last week.

Teddy Sabugaa, executive director of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro that the seizure was held two days after they conducted an aerial survey last June 11.

Based on the information received by Sabugaa from Police Senior Inspector Rogelio Labor, station commander of Opol Municipal Police Station who led the operation, confiscated in Sitio Kabalang, Barangay Taglimao in Cagayan de Oro were two small five-horsepower hydraulic mining equipment and one 18-horsepower machine Sitio Tagpako, Tingalan, Opol in Misamis Oriental.

“The 18-horse power machine was from Sitio Kabalang and transferred to Sitio Tagpako but was still confiscated,” Sabugaa said.

The Opol police office is one of the members of Task Force Iponan that monitors the illegal-mining operation along Iponan River.

Sabugaa emphasized that police operatives in Opol are only exercising their power following the cease and desist order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) against hydraulic mining.

“The police also ensure that there will be no hydraulic mining activity along Iponan River because this is illegal,” he said.

The other week, the PPOC, along with DENR, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources and Opol police, conducted an aerial survey and confirmed that illegal mining activities still exist along Iponan River.

The team also discovered five-barges or dredging machines in Barangays Tuburan, Tumpagon and San Simon, all in Cagayan de Oro. (Annabelle L. Ricalde)