DENR AND MGB WHERE ARE YOU?
Despite All the Tragedies, why is Illegal Mining Persisting?
Our firm salute to Engr. Armen Cuenca for exercising his mandate as the CLENRO of Cagayan de Oro by exemplifying to the highest degree that “a public office is a public trust and all government officials must exercise to the highest degree their mandate with highest commitment and dedication.” The CLENRO’s latest monitoring has shown pictures below with captions the worsening illegal mining operations in the upland barangays of Cagayan de Oro and Opol.
Drone-shot at Barangay Nangcaon, Opol
They observed at the time of their inspection, no active mining operations or heavy equipment were observed within the area. However, the presence of recently excavated areas and noticeable wheel tracks from heavy equipment indicated that recent mining activities had taken place
Drone-shot at Barangay Pigsag-an, CDO
The subsequent inspection on March 4, 2025, revealed no visible mining activities or heavy equipment on-site. However recent excavation sites and heavy equipment tracks provided strong indications of continued illegal extractions. Furthermore,
certain excavated sections were directly linked to the river, significantly contributing siltation and raising pressing environmental concerns regarding water quality.
Drone-shot at Barangay Tumpagon, CDO
During the subsequent inspection on March 4, 2025, no active mining operations or mining equipment were observed on-site. However, evidence of recent excavation, including wheel tracks from heavy equipment, suggested continued extraction activities. The extent of land disturbance remained consistent with the previous inspection, with no additional impact on the surrounding vegetation.
Drone-shot at Barangay Cauyonan, Opol
During the subsequent inspection on March 4, 2025, no active mining operations or mining paraphelnalia were observed on-site. However, evidence of recent excavation including wheel tracks from heavy equipment, suggested continued extractions activities. The extent of land disturbance remained consistent with the previous inspection, with no additional impact on the surrounding vegetation.
Dron-shot at Barangay Tumpagon, CDO
At the time of inspection, no active mining operations or heavy equipment were observed within the area. However, traces of recent excavation and wheel tracts from heavy equipment provided clear evidence of recent mining activity. Notably, this site had not been previously recorded in previous monitoring activities, indicating it as a newly observed excavation site. Furthermore, it is located in close proximity to a newly constructed bridge.
During the inspection CLENRO personnel discovered mining paraphelnalia concealed within the surrounding vegetation
The following items were subsequently seized;
- Two water pumps
- Seven water hoses
- Two Sluice boxes
- Two shovels
Seizure and Turnover Receipts were duly issued for the seized items.
These worsening illegal mining operations done by big time illegal miners whom we suspect are Chinese and Korean Nationals carrying only tourist visa should be a wake-up call to Task Force Kinaiyahan which has been ordered by the Court of Appeals in 2013 to stop illegal mining through Writ of Kalikasan. During my stint as CDA Chairman who acted then as the Chairman of the Task Force Kinaiyahan, we have established checkpoints to stop these illegal miners. We had in fact arrested five Chinese Nationals carrying only tourist visa in their campsite who were well-equipped with Ak-47 and Armalite.
Despite all the efforts to stop illegal mining in Cagayan de Oro that has even sacrificed the life of an intrepid environmental warrior who finally was killed on the 8th attempt to his life, the overall Chieftain of the Higaonon Tribe, Datu 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 when in fact about five Chinese Nationals carrying only tourist visas had already been arrested by Task Force Kinaiyahan in 2014 when we were implementing the Writ of Kalikasan. But those arrested illegal Chinese miners were hideously released after only one week in prison.
To start, may I share how Datu Sandigan survived the 7th attempt on his life that would show how determined were the illegal miners and the extent of their connivance, to wit: 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 into 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 were 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 were 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 Sendong 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? Last year, we went to barangay Nangcaon, 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 meters- 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.
