The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) on Wednesday constituted itself into a committee of the whole to investigate the illegal quarry in Anda where a fatal landslide occurred earlier this month.
Provincial lawmakers said that the inquiry was conducted in aid of legislation aimed at preventing the same tragedy from happening again.
The investigation was joined by representatives from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO) and Anda local government unit.
According to Anda Councilor John Louis Deligero, the quarry in the village of Candabong has been operating without permits from the barangay and the Sangguninag Bayan.
The BEMO also noted that the quarry operator was also not issued with a permit from the provincial government.
Quarry workers managed to avoid detection through clandestine extraction of limestone in the remote barangay, said Deligero.
In the same inquiry, the SP expressed disappointment over the current MGB policy which stipulates that only one entity can apply for a mining permit at a time.
MGB-7 officer-in-charge Eduardo Loquellano said said that for instance one Domingo Chua has been applying for a permit since the 1970s barring others from submitting an application.
According to Vice Governor Venzencio Arcamo who presided over the inquiry, the SP will be filing a resolution appealing to Environment Sec. Roy Cimatu to cancel Chua’s application to give way to other aspiring applicants. (RT)