Thursday, February 07, 2008 Mayor hits 'unequal treatment' in Capitol
APALIT Mayor Oscar Tetangco Jr. has assailed what he described as the Pampanga Provincial Government's "unequal treatment" over the issuance of permits to quarry operators.
He expressed this during Monday's committee hearing of the Provincial Board (PB) at the session hall of the Capitol here.
With the lack of support from the Provincial Capitol, the Municipal Government has allocated budget to start hauling the unproductive lands.
Sometime in December members of the Biyaya a Luluguran at Sisikapan (Balas) ordered them to stop hauling operations for lack of necessary permit.
Immediately, Tetangco has ordered his constituency to stop hauling and abide by the law.
Meanwhile, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) officer-in-charge Rosalia Adonis clarified that her office did not issue any permit but just a certification of the land in Barangay Sulipan in the town.
Adonis said their office could not issue a permit after they found out that the area is not covered by the Republic Act (RA) 7942 (Mining Act) of Tax Ordinance 1-93.
"The said material is not commercial in nature and shall be removed from its source and transferred to the San Miguel Elementary School in nearby Calumpit, Bulacan," the certification stated.
However, sources said the operators in the area are allegedly accepting P300 per truckload upon delivery.
"The authority given is only valid until January 31, but they are still extracting materials until now," the source said.
The source also said the filling materials were not delivered to the school as indicated in the certification.
For his part, Barangay Sulipan chairman Marcos Capinpin confirmed that they collect P300 per truck, which, according to him, is being used for the truck's gasoline and for their maintenance.
He also said the filling materials were used by a number of houses erected on lowlands and other public roads.
It was also learned that the Sulipan barangay secretary is close relative of Governor Eddie Panlilio's aide. (RCG/MHD)
