Sunday, April 16, 2006
Raps filed v. T'boli miners
AT LEAST 13 alleged financiers and operators of illegal mining activities at a gold rush site in T'boli town are now facing theft charges filed by the Provincial Government of South Cotabato.
South Cotabato Governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes said the Provincial Mines and Regulatory Board, which she heads, decided last week to finally indict those behind the destructive "banlas" or sluice mining activities in Barangay Kematu.
Financiers and operators reportedly continued to ignore a stoppage order issued by the local government a year ago.
"We're fed up with making compromises with them. We gave them enough time to straighten up but they ignored us and still continued with their destructive activities," she said.
Fuentes admitted that since the board ordered the closure of the sluice mining site in Sitio Blangas in Kematu in February last year, the illegal mining activity has continued and even extended to the nearby mountains.
"When I heard about that, I instructed PD (provincial police director Getulio) Napeñas to direct his men to make a record of the illegal activities and execute an affidavit for the filing of charges against its leaders," she said.
Fuentes, however, refused to name the 13 mining financiers and operators who were charged with theft of minerals before the prosecution office. But she noted that some of them were known leaders in the area.
She pointed out that each count of the theft of minerals case carries a penalty of six years imprisonment.
The governor ordered the total stoppage of sluice mining activities in Sitio Blangas last year after the illegal activity almost cut a mountain in the area into half. (Allen V. Estabillo)
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(April 10, 2006 issue)
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