Agencies to ink pact vs illegal mining

A DEAL will be signed Thursday by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), other government agencies and stakeholders in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City to end the illegal mining operations in Iponan River.

The parties, who are expected to sign the memorandum of agreement (MOA), agreed to review the Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECC) issued by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to mining firms, including its terms and conditions, and to immediately issue cancellation and cease and desist orders in cases of violations.

Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano, Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz and Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno are among the signatories in the MOA.

Other signatories include top officials of MGB, the Environmental Management Bureau (MGB), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), police and the military, including the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Bureau of Immigration (BI) and environmental group Sulog.

The MOA signing came after a series of raids has been conducted resulting in the arrest of several Chinese nationals found to be illegally extracting gold minerals and working without necessary legal documents.

Sulog chair Orlando Ravanera said the parties will converge at the regional office of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) in Julio Pacana St. before proceeding to the DENR regional office for the signing.

Earlier, the Court of Appeals (CA) slapped two writs against the City Government of Cagayan de Oro, the City Council, DENR, MGB and five mining companies for the alleged “continuing environmental destruction in the hinterland barangays of Cagayan de Oro.”

Associate Justices Renato Francisco, Oscar V. Badelles and Henri Jean Paul B. Inting of the CA’s special 20 second division issued the writ of Kalikasan and Writ of Continuing Mandamus in response to the petition filed by environmental group Bangon Kagay-an (BK), led by its chair Nixon Baban, and a citizen suit.

The CA said it found the petition “sufficient in form and substance” and ordered all the respondents to file their respected verified returns within a non-extendible period of 10 days from the service of the writ.

The Court of Appeals has also scheduled a hearing for the issuance of temporary environmental protection order on Friday, March 1.