Korean couple, drivers face raps for violating eco laws

CEBU, Philippines - A Korean national and his wife, along with three drivers, face charges before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

Protected area superintendent of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL) and employee of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-7 Ariel Rica filed a complaint against the respondents for the violation of Section 14 of Republic Act 9486 known as the Central Cebu Protected Landscape Act of 2007.

The Korean couple Yoong and Judith Park of Pajac, Lapu-lapu City and their drivers Ronnie Lloveras of Camp 4, Talisay City; Wilfredo Habasa of Cambang-og, Toledo City and Perfecto Amar of Cabreros, Basak, Cebu City have been charged for allegedly conniving and conspiring in violating the said act.

In the joint affidavit of SPO4 Allan Patalinghug and PO1 Jonathan Rabago, they stated they were able to intercept three trucks loaded with mineral products known as copper ores on Dec. 10 last year, upon the instruction of Superintendent Anthony Bagarinao.

Bagarinao said the mineral products were allegedly illegally extracted from Barangay Bayong, Balamban.

Upon the interception, police arrested the drivers and brought them to the Balamban Police Station after they failed to present any transport documents that would warrant the legality of their shipment.

The police pointed to a certain Joy Parks, wife of a Korean national, as the alleged financier and owner of the mineral products and certain couple identified as Melodina and Ronie Dino as owners of the apprehended vehicles.

In the joint affidavit of Rica, Magdalino Lugod, Antonio Carreon and Edgar Abarquez from the DENR, they stated that they made an actual verification, investigation and site inspection in the area on Dec. 28.

“That during the site inspection, we actually saw about six mining pits in the area which were already abandoned. The said pits appear to be very shallow because according to the barangay tanod who guided us in the area, the miners will just transfer from one place to another to locate and dig up copper ores,” the affidavit reads.

They added that they saw a few piles of copper ores placed in sacks in Sitio Kuros-Kuros, Magsaysay, Balamban, a kilometer away from the mining site.

They likewise said that they conducted an inventory on the copper ores seized by the police amounting to 7.5 cubic meter and was pegged at more or less P336,000. 

The employees of DENR said the mining site was a prohibited zone but still subject to the issuance of a community resource management plan.

They allegedly found out that it was the barangay captain, Rizal Abanto, who issued a permit and authorization of the mining activities in the area and was reportedly in cahoots with the Korean couple, Yoong and Judith Park, who allegedly financed the illegal mining activity.

Rica said they had also filed a complaint against Abanto before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for the same offense.  (FREEMAN)