An adhoc committee set up at the 20th City Council will start its inquiry into reports of illegal mining in barangays Tuburan and Tumpagon that came out last month, an administration councilor said.

 

‘We have yet to get the names of those involved though we received a report from barangay officials and those they are operating at the borders of nearby Opol town and Lanao, we are still affected because these illegal mining activities affect our rivers,’ Councilor and environment committee chairman Roger Abaday said in Visayan.

 

During the program ‘Ang Inyong Konseho Karon’ hosted by the City Information Office, Abaday said two of the financiers of the illegal mining operation are Chinese nationals who are based in Davao de Oro.

Last month, Councilor Abaday made a special report on the illegal mining activities in the outskirts of Barangay Tumpagon, a hinterland barangay of Cagayan de Oro. He also showed photos of the excavated site along with heavy equipment used by those responsible.

 

‘It’s illegal mining because they haven’t secured permits. We’ll convene the ad hoc committee next week and will include the reports on illegal mining in Barangay Tumpagon,’ Abaday said.

 

A task force confirmed the presence of heavy equipment in Tumpagon. The Task Force which conducted an inspection and joint monitoring of the areas is comprised of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-10), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-10), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Fourth Infantry Division’s (4th ID) Task Force Oro and the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO).

 

Abaday said barangay officials will also be tapped to join the task force to augment the monitoring efforts. Last year, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy called on barangay officials to be vigilant and take action against illegal mining activities in their respective areas especially in hinterland barangays. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)