THE City Government of Bacolod will answer the petition for mandamus filed by two Barangay Alangilan quarry operators.
Lawyer Joselito Bayatan, city legal officer, said the city will answer the petition filed by Juan Jose G. Bonnin and Michael Lawrence Bantug.
"We are still deeply looking into the facts that concern third parties, as quarry business affects the environment and its operation, should comply with social acceptability," Bayatan said.
Last week, the quarry operators sued Bacolod City mayor Evelio R. Leonardia for not granting them the renewal of their business permit.
In their petition, Bonnin and Bantug said they had invested time, effort, and financial resources in securing all the required permits, clearances, and other documents from the barangay up to the Office of the Regional Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
They stressed that they have complied with all the requisites laid down by the existing laws, rules and regulations of both the Mining Act of 1995, as amended, as well as the laws, rules and regulations of the DENR.
Yet, Leonardia did not issue their respective mayor's permit.
In an earlier interview, Bayatan said that the issuance of this mayor's/business permit is a matter of discretion by the city mayor. (Carla N. Cañet)