Cagay-anons Wake-Up:  Stop Officials Conniving with Illegal Miners

No less than the amazing City Local Environment and Natural Resources Officer, Engr. Armen Cuenca has informed recently the Task Force Kinaiyahan of the following narrative which must be the focus of a thorough investigation based on the complaint that he had received on an alleged illegal mining operation from a concerned citizen being perpetuated by Chinese Nationals at Barangay Tumpagon, Cagayan de Oro City: As posted by a concerned citizen on Facebook, to quote: “The alleged Chinese Nationals were accompanied by a certain Kagawad Cagmat, an elected Barangay Official of Tumpagon, acting as a gold buyer and negotiator for land surface area related to the potential illegal mining activity. Kagawad Cagmat is considered untouchable because his romantic partner holds the position of detachment commander in the military present in the area, and the violators have contact with the Lumbia (MPS) Police Station, providing advance notice to cease illegal operations during government agency monitoring and inspections.

“The alleged illegal mining activity by Chinese Nationals is spearheaded by an individual named Mr. Xian, with his interpreter identified as Mr. Patrick Lam, and the workers comprised of residents from Davao and locals in the area, including guards, heavy equipment operators, and drivers.”

During the joint inspection with Mines and Geosciences Bureau – Regional Office No. 10 (MGB – 10) on December 15, the technical personnel observed the following at the time of inspection.

“There were traces of extraction along the existing river, inside the boundary of Barangay Tumpagon. There was no presence of heavy equipment in the vicinity. Several individuals, likely residents in the area, were seen using hydraulic water pumps. They promptly evacuated, carrying the equipment upon the team’s arrival at the subject area. Several forest trees and other vegetation in the area were cut down and adversely affected by the illegal mining activity, and a portable alleged deck gold wash plant was observed at an estimated distance of 150 meters from the illegal mining area.”

Such narration in the Facebook by the complainant has brought to the fore what the late Chieftain of the Higaonon Tribe in Cagayan de Oro had told us when he was alive but what killed for telling the truth. Despite all the efforts to stop illegal mining in Cagayan de Oro, it has even sacrificed the life of an intrepid environmental warrior, Fausto Orasan known as Datu Sandigan, our beloved environmental kindred. We are so puzzled in Sulog, One Sendong is Enough, why illegal mining has intensified, this time going to Opol and Iligan City. What is even more puzzling is the non-stop involvement of some Chinese Nationals when in fact some five Chinese Nationals carrying only tourist visas had already been arrested by Task Force Kinaiyahan in 2014 in Barangay Tumpagon when we were implementing the Writ of Kalikasan. But these illegal Chinese miners were hideously released after only one week in prison. How far has such connivance with the powerful illegal miners gone? We were told then that when these illegal miners were released, they were even accompanied by an influential political personality. Glaringly, not only barangay officials are conniving with illegal miners. Indeed, a thorough investigation must be trailblazed otherwise all will just be “drama,” fooling the Filipino people especially the Cagay-anons.

To put the gravity of the problem in its proper context, please allow me to share how Datu Sandigan survived the seven attempts on his life that would show how determined were the illegal miners and the extent of their connivance. The dark and diabolical forces that were wreaking havoc on the integrity of the environment through massive illegal mining activities in the Iponan area of Cagayan de Oro were intensifying it. That time, with impunity and intent to kill. Armed with Garand Rifles and pistols, they pulled the trigger, releasing a barrage of firepower, shooting the house of Datu Sandigan in Pigsag-an. Thinking that Datu Sandigan was already dead, they left walking down the road and giving notice to those whom they had met, not to follow the anti-mining stand of Datu Sandigan or else, they would meet the same fate. Fortunately, Datu Sandigan was still alive to expose those who committed such a dastardly act who were brandishing that they were above the law. Together with His Eminence, Arch. Tony Ledesma and then DILG Regional Director, Rene Burdeos, Datu Sandigan came as one of the guests of honor during the World Environment Day Celebration at Grand Caprice in 2013 where he narrated his near-death experience and that of his family as well. What shocked us was the alleged perpetrators were then known barangay officials who were angry because the Caterpillar Backhoes used in mining operations were halted by the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau.

That was how big mining had become then in the five (5) upland barangays along the Iponon River. There were thirteen (13) brand new Caterpillar Backhoes used for massive mining operations, highly destructive as these were into open-pit mining. Each Backhoe costs 10 million pesos. So, it was not mining just using “piko” and “pala,” after all, as alleged by a City Official then.

If several officials were indeed involved, we could not help but ask, who else was involved then in those illegal mining activities occupying key positions in government? We supposed that these alleged barangay officials have backers otherwise they would not display such arrogance of utterly disregarding the rule of law. More questions: Who were the big businessmen who would dare to invest hundreds of millions into these illegal mining operations? Unless these questions are answered, everything will just be in the shadows despite the strong outcry to stop our accelerating drive toward ecological disasters.

There were still so many queries that were begging for answers then but until now remain unanswered: Before using the thirteen (13) backhoes for mining, there were some sixteen (16) barges that were dredging the Iponan River of gold. We were informed that each barge would cost 15 million pesos. Again, who were the investors? Were these barges brought directly from China or Korea, considering that several Korean and Chinese firms were among the sixty-one (61) operators given permits by the LGU and Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs) by the EMB of the DENR?  If indeed barges were brought to the Philippines by these firms, how come they were able to smuggle these into the city? Have these barges not passed the scrutiny of the Bureau of Customs?

QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? The ECCs issued by the EMB were only for sand and gravel quarrying, how come they were flagrantly using these for mining? That being, how come no stoppage order or cancellation of ECCs or permits have been done by concerned government agencies? Carrying only papers as tourists, Chinese Nationals were the ones operating the barges that have been dredging the Iponan River of sediments and alluvial deposits. Based on reports from environmental experts, out of one ton of sediments extracted from the river, only five (5) grams of gold can be had. Until now, we in SULOG, One Sending is Enough, the Environmental Coalition for Peace, Justice, and Sustainability are wondering why these questions remained unanswered. Until we are enlightened, we will be in the dark about how influential these miners are.

So much environmental damage has been inflicted by these foreigners to our land that aggravated flooding, exemplified by Sendong yet, that crime called theft of minerals goes on without let-up. If Bohol has “CHOCOLATE HILLS,” Cagayan de Oro has “CHOCOLATE RIVER,” that’s Iponan River. That is just a joke but that joke is so painful because it has become a “chocolate” at so much cost to the people of Cagayan de Oro especially to our thousands of families living in coastal communities who are now living in extreme poverty because of the death of Macajalar Bay due primarily to massive siltation from illegal mining operations.

Now that the Chinese are into illegal mining in upland barangays along the Iponan River, in Iligan, and in Opol using Backhoes, still no one has been arrested, why? A year ago, we went to barangay Nangkaon, Tuburan together with CLENRO Staff. We were told that again backhoes were used to destroy a mini-forest in the middle of a river digging 30 meter- deep below to mine for gold. The backhoes of the Chinese left after hiring and paying the poor residents in the area to mine for gold. Some 300 residents continued the illegal mining, and then the Chinese left into hiding and so did the backhoes.

SO, WAKE-UP CAGAY-ANONS! Please be reminded that when Sendong hit the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, some 3,000 died. Glaringly, one of the contributing factors of the deadly flood was the loss of the grandeur of the Iponan River, an ecosystem that should have been a countervailing force but instead contributed to the rising of the onslaught of the flood. Crime against Mother Earth (GAIA) can either be committed through action or inaction, feasance or non-feasance. Our inaction and non-feasance for not hearing the cry of GAIA took the form of SENDONG as our penalty. This time, GAIA is in severe pain. Let us heal Her wound by stopping the further destruction of the Iponan River and of Macajalar Bay due to illegal mining.