NAARESTO sa illegal na pabrika ng pagmimina sa Camarines Norte ang 11 Chinese nationals.
Inaresto ng mga awtoridad nitong weekend ang 11 Tsino na nagtatrabaho sa isang ilegal na mining operation sa Paracale, Camarines Norte.
Sa press briefing sa Malakanyang nitong Miyerkules, sinabi ni Environment Secretary Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga na hindi ito ang unang pagkakataon na may mga banyagang nahuling nagsasagawa ng ilegal na pagmimina sa bansa.
Naniniwala si Yulo-Loyzaga na maliban doon sa nadiskubre sa Camarines Norte, ay malaki ang posibilidad na mayroon pang presensiya ng foreign nationals sa iba pang illegal mining sites sa bansa.
“I believe presence of foreigners is a very great possibility, yes. As you know, I think it was last year, we also apprehended, together with authorities, an operation in the border of, I think, it was Cagayan de Oro and Iligan in the upland areas that had foreign workers also conducting, yes, illegal activities.”
“First of all, it’s illegal to have foreign workers by law in your operation, unless there are specific highly-technical positions na kinakailangan talaga iyong advise na ganoon, iyong technical capacity na ganoon,” pahayag ni DENR Secretary Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga.
Maliban pa sa presensiya ng mga ilegal na banyagang manggagawa, binanggit din ng DENR chief na ang minahan sa Paracale ay nahuling nagpapatakbo lampas sa lugar kung saan ito pinahintulutan.
“And in 2023, we also know that they had completed their permitting requirements and had been permitted to operate. However, now, they have been found to have been operating also beyond the area where they have been permitted to operate. And, of course, there is the presence of foreign workers,” aniya.
Sa ngayon, nagpapatuloy ang case build-up laban sa mga sangkot sa diumano’y ilegal na operasyon ng pagmimina sa Paracale, Camarines Norte.
“I’ll stop there kasi po kini-case build-up po namin ngayon, together with other authorities, other agencies ‘no. This is a small-scale mining processing operation. So, as you know, in terms of the small-scale operations, there’s a heavy local government and local community component,” saad ng DENR chief.
Una nang inihayag ni Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) Spokesperson Dr. Winston Casio na ang nahuling Chinese nationals sa Paracale ay na-inquest na.
“Tapos na po iyong Immigration inquest nila, so ang hinihintay na lamang po natin ay iyong criminal inquest for violation of the Philippine Mining Act at saka sa ibang paglabag pa po sa ilang mga batas natin with regard to environmental protection,” saad ni Dr. Winston Casio, Spokesperson, PAOCC.
