Provincial Board doubts Naguit’s quarry activities

MINALIN -- The Provincial Board is doubting the nature of the quarry activities allegedly being undertaken by the camp of Mayor Arturo Naguit.

Board Member Melchor Pingul, vice chair of the PB’s committee on environment, told Sun.Star Pampanga that an employee from Minalin Poultry Cooperative (Mipolco) disclosed to them that Naguit hauled quarry materials to their premises for and inconsideration of P1,800 per truckload.

“Ang sabi sa atin ng isang employee mula sa Mipolco ay P1,800 ang halaga ng isang truck ng panambak,” Pingul said.

During the Provincial Board’s committee hearing involving the real causes of the San Fernando-Sto. Tomas-Minalin tail dike breach, it came out that Mayor Naguit allegedly allowed a certain Rondon Mercado to haul truckloads of quarry materials to Mipolco.

“Mercado was given only a permit intended for the scraping of a fishpond and not for quarrying,” Pingul noted.

He also stressed that it is hard to believe that the quarry materials were given to the said cooperative for free.

The board member explained that Mipolco is approximately one kilometer away from the dredged portion of the river.

“Imposible namang walang bayad yun eh ang yaman ng Mipolco at paano naman yung kunsumo nila sa truck? Mas maganda pa kung ipinamigay na lamang niya sa mga nangangailangang pamilya,” he said.

Naguit, in earlier reports, claimed he had no choice but to haul tons of quarry materials that block the river channel to save his town from further inundation.

Board Member Nestor Tolentino was quick in saying that it is more helpful if the mayor placed the spoils at the foot of the dike.

The Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources (PGENRO) clarified the other day that Naguit was only asked to assist in the rechanneling of the waterway.

However, the PGENRO was not properly informed about the hauling activity.