THE Provincial Board of Negros Occidental will investigate next month the suspected fake permit of a quarry operator.
Fifth District Board Member Alain Gatuslao said a complainant informed him that there is a quarry operator in the province who is using fake and duplicate permits, and has no quarrying coupons.
The complainant added that the Provincial Environment Management Office (Pemo) is not conducting an investigation on the matter.
Gatuslao said the joint hearing by the committees on law, which he chaired, and committee on environment chaired by First District Board Member Rommel Debulgado is scheduled on May 10.
The board members will be provided with necessary information on the next regular session on May 3, Gatuslao said.
Notice of violation
For his part, Pemo head Wilfred Peñalosa said he is aware of the complaint, adding that the Provincial Legal Office (PLO) is already conducting an administrative hearing.
He said his office had issued a notice of violation to the said operator for alleged violations of the Provincial Tax Ordinance and lack of governor’s permit.
Peñalosa said it’s up to the PLO to weigh the evidence submitted by both parties and impose corresponding sanctions.
Moreover, Peñalosa said they also received a report some weeks ago about a fake quarry permit.
He said he checked with the Provincial Treasurer’s Office and found out that its personnel also conducted an investigation after they discovered a discrepancy on the quarrying coupon.
The report of the Treasurer’s Office was then submitted to PLO, Peñalosa said.
He said the PLO has yet to schedule the next administrative hearing.