By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN
BAROBO, Surigao del Sur — Barobo Mayor Ronnie Matizano has questioned the conduct of authorities who raided alleged illegal mining sites in two barangays over the weekend, saying the municipal government was not properly informed of the operation.
Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer (MENRO) Danilo Joseph Galigao said Matizano expressed disappointment after learning that the joint anti-illegal mining operation was carried out without prior coordination with the local government.
“We were only informed by the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Lianga that a raid was already ongoing,” Galigao said.
Matizano was out of town when the operation was conducted and was unavailable for interview.
According to Galigao, the mayor raised his concerns during a meeting with local officials on Sunday, saying the lack of coordination had unnecessarily dragged the municipal government into the controversy.
Galigao said Matizano was particularly disturbed after a local vlogger claimed that the alleged mining activities in Barangays Bahi and Mamis were being allowed under a supposed “standard operating procedure,” in which the mayor allegedly received a share from extracted minerals.
Galigao dismissed the allegation, saying the mayor had, in fact, convened barangay officials only last week to discuss the regulation of small-scale gold panning while awaiting the approval of the town’s proposed Minahang Bayan from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
During the meeting, Galigao said local officials agreed to allow only traditional gold panning and to strictly prohibit earth-moving activities involving heavy equipment such as backhoes.
The mayor also reportedly received complaints that members of the raiding team confiscated cash, mobile phones and gold from individuals found at the site. Authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the allegation.
Police Major Andrew Lupian, chief of the Barobo Municipal Police Station, said even the local police were informed only after the operation had already started.
Roland Apollo, one of the mine workers in Barangay Bahi, claimed he saw members of the raiding team confiscate personal belongings, including cash, mobile phones and ounces of gold allegedly extracted through panning and sluicing during the raid on Saturday.
However, Police Maj. Michael John Sentinta, company commander of the 1301st Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 13, said the operation was conducted based on orders from the DENR-MGB Regional Office 13 in Surigao City following reports of massive illegal gold mining activities in the area.
Sentinta said the operation complied with all necessary coordination requirements before it was carried out.
He also denied allegations that personal belongings were confiscated and challenged the small-scale miners to file a formal legal complaint if they believed their rights had been violated.
He challenged this reporter who went to the area to assess if this could still this be considered non destructive small-scale gold panning and sluicing.
The Police Regional Office 13 (PRO-13), meanwhile, maintained that the operation was a legitimate anti-illegal mining campaign conducted jointly with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), CENRO-Lianga, the DENR Cutlog Environmental Monitoring and Information Assistance Center (MIAC), and the Barobo Municipal Police Station.
In a statement issued Sunday, PRO-13 said personnel from the 1301st Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 13 arrested three individuals who were allegedly caught extracting mineral resources without permits along the boundary of Barangays Bahi and Mamis on June 28.
Police identified the suspects only by their aliases: Elmer, 52; Arvin, 37; and Jiar, 38, all residents of Barobo.
Authorities also seized a Volvo EC210D backhoe valued at ₱7 million, soil materials believed to contain gold-bearing minerals, gasoline-powered water pumps, chainsaws, hoses, gold pans, shovels and other mining equipment with a total estimated value of more than ₱7.1 million.
PRO-13 said the arrested individuals were brought to the Barobo Municipal Police Station for proper disposition, while the confiscated equipment was turned over to the DENR for documentation and appropriate legal proceedings.
PRO-13 Regional Director Brig. Gen. Marcial Mariano P. Magistrado IV said the operation underscored the police’s commitment to enforcing environmental laws and curbing illegal mining activities through close coordination with partner agencies.
Meanwhile, Lupian said additional individuals arrested during the operation were subjected to inquest proceedings before the prosecutor’s office on Monday.
