WAS the landslide in two sitios in Barangay Tina-an, City of Naga a result of man-made negligence?
For Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong, this seems to be the case.
In an interview, Thursday, September 20, Chiong implied that the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 7 committed negligence for clearing Apo Land Quarry Corp. (ALQC) of any wrongdoing when cracks were found in some parts of Sitio Tagaytay, Barangay Tina-an, where some of the company’s quarry area is located.
At around 6 a.m. ,Thursday, September 20, more than two hectares of Sitio Tagaytay collapsed and created a landslide that covered the neighboring sitio of Sindulan.
As of 7:30 p.m. the landslide had killed at least 15 people, injured eight and rendered more than 60 persons missing.
Chiong said that, three weeks ago, some Tagaytay residents complained to her office that cracks were found in parts of their area. They sought the help of the MGB after learning that the cracks could have been caused by the quarrying operations of ALQC.
Chiong issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against ALQC, which she said would only be lifted if MGB will issue a certification that the quarry company is blameless against the cracks found in the area.
The MGB immediately conducted an assessment.
On Aug. 29, the bureau sent its findings to the City Government.
“Please be informed that based on the technical report, the manifestation of the assessed cracks/fissures in the subject site is a natural phenomenon and is not related to the mining operation within the ALQC Tenement in Sitio Tagaytay, Barangay Tina-an, Naga City, Cebu,” read a portion of MGB’s letter signed by lawyer Gerardo Mahusay, chief of the finance and administrative division of MGB 7. “Further, the present nature, the number and the distribution of cracks/fissures in the subject site are not considered critical and do not pose imminent danger to the neighboring community.”
But despite reading the assessment, Chiong did not lift the CDO immediately. She asked for the MGB certification with the commitment from ALQC that it would regularly report its activities in the area.
When ALQC finally secured the certification and made the commitment, Chiong allowed the resumption of operations.
But three weeks later, the residents were again alarmed that the cracks in Sitio Tagaytay were getting bigger. Chiong called for a repeat assessment from MGB.
The assessment was conducted two days before the landslide. But the MGB has yet to release the assessment report.
“I don’t want to point any fingers, but the documents will speak for themselves,” Chiong said.
MGB 7 Acting Director Armando Malicse confirmed the findings signed by Mahusay. But he said that since the incident happened within the property of ALQC, the company has some liability.
“What we have just done is to investigate if that crack is associated with the quarry operation, which incidentally, it is not. But even if it is not because of quarry operation, our office still ordered the company to be extra careful, especially in passing that particular area.” said Malicse.
The ALQC, for its part, clarified, that although it has mining rights in the area, it has not started its quarry operations in Sitios Tagaytay and Sindulan.
Chito Maniago, ALQC spokesperson, said they have quarries in the city but not near the landslide site.
In the meantime, Chiong said they will focus on the search, rescue and retrieval operations for those still stuck under the rubble.
She assured that the City Government will shoulder the funeral expenses for those who died and medical assistance for those who were injured.
More than 300 residents of Sitio Tagaytay and Sindulan were also evacuated to the Enan Chiong Activity Center in Barangay South Poblacion, at the APO Cement gym and at the Barangay Naalad gym.
Naga declared a state of calamity in five barangays: Tina-an, Naalad, Pangdan, Cabangahan and Mainit. The four other barangays have areas covered by ALQC’s quarry area.
At 4 p.m. Police Regional Office 7 Director Debold Sinas announced that the police will implement forced evacuation in Sitio Sindulan.
Included in those being ordered to evacuate the area are emergency responders from various local government units and non-government organizations tasked to conduct the search, rescue and retrieval operations in the area.
Sinas said the only personnel who will remain at the landslide area will be those from various national government agencies led by the Philippine National Police, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the local disaster unit of the City of Naga. Sinas said that anyone who will not heed his evacuation orders will be arrested.
President Rodrigo Duterte may visit the area hit by a massive landslide today. He will be in Cebu today as guest of the Asia Pacific Association of Gastroenterology biennial clinical conference.
To see the landslide video, go to: snstr.co/5mH
For more landslide photos, go to: snstr.co/5nd