Manila: A Chinese national and eight other individuals have been arrested for their alleged involvement in illegal mining activities in Barangay Bacuyangan, Hinoba-an in Negros Occidental, a police report revealed on Saturday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the suspects' arrest on February 26 was part of the intensified Oplan Kalikasan law enforcement operation jointly conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Led by the provincial office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), together with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) - Negros Island Region (NIR), the operation resulted in the confiscation of mining equipment estimated to be worth PHP17.5 million. This included two backhoe trucks, three 10-wheeler dump trucks, a vibrating screen machine, and an automatic generator set control panel.
A report from the PNP-CIDG identified the Chinese national as 'Xiong' and named the eight others as 'Bert,' 'Joey,' 'Chris,' 'Rey,' 'Leo,' 'Randy,' 'Dante,' and 'Egay.' Two of the suspects were residents of Hinoba-an, while the others hailed from various regions including Masbate, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Bukidnon, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Davao Oriental, as indicated in a separate regional police report.
Mayor Daph Anthony Reliquias acknowledged the development through a news release, confirming that the municipal government initiated an investigation following a letter-complaint from a group of concerned farmers about illegal mining activities. The initial findings prompted the municipal government to refer the matter to the Provincial Environment Management Office and coordinate with national regulatory and law enforcement agencies, including the DENR and MGB, for joint inspection and technical evaluation. Reliquias emphasized that the 'coordinated efforts, carried out in accordance with established legal procedures, culminated in the law enforcement operation conducted by the concerned authorities.'
Reliquias also stated his firm opposition to illegal mining, noting that any extraction of natural resources without lawful permits, regulatory compliance, and environmental safeguards is unacceptable. He asserted that the rule of law must prevail.
The PNP-CIDG reported that the suspects did not possess the necessary mining rights, permits, or agreements from the DENR-MGB and other proper authorities. They will face charges before the National Prosecution Service for violation of Sections 102 (illegal exploration) and 103 (theft of minerals) of Republic Act (RA) 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, in relation to Section 3 (c) of RA 7076, or the People's Small-Scale Mining Act of 1991.
