By CHRIS PANGANIBAN
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — Authorities have shut down an illegal gold mining operation in Santiago, Agusan del Norte, that left mountains stripped of vegetation and communities at risk of flooding and erosion.
The operation, allegedly run by Chinese nationals, was discovered after months of surveillance and complaints from local residents.
Engr. Larry Heradez, regional director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Caraga XIII, said a joint team from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Region 13, the MGB, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conducted the raid on November 8 in Sitio Mantigue, Barangay Poblacion 1.
The operation led to the seizure of heavy equipment and mining tools and the arrest of an undocumented Chinese operator, though several others escaped.
Heradez said the suspects used a flushing method, extracting gold by channeling pressurized water through mountain ore deposits. “The gold originates from the mountain but was washed down to the riverbanks by heavy rains, where they carried out their operations,” he explained.
Authorities believe the suspects were linked to four Chinese nationals arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Agusan del Sur on October 1 for working without valid visas, part of President Marcos Jr.’s crackdown on foreign-led operations damaging the environment.
The four are now detained at the Agusan del Sur Provincial Jail, facing deportation and permanent bans from the Philippines.
Initial findings revealed extensive mountain excavation without permits, with trees and vegetation removed, leaving soil vulnerable to runoff. “This illegal mining operation did not only destroy natural resources—it also heightened risks for local communities,” Heradez said.
The crackdown follows months of intelligence gathering after residents reported heavy equipment and foreign workers in the remote sitio. Authorities are preparing criminal and administrative charges against those involved, while the seized machinery remains under government custody.
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