9 men nabbed for ‘quarrying’

CEBU, Philippines — Just a little over 24 hours after Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia issued a memorandum to stop all forms of quarrying, nine persons were arrested Tuesday afternoon for their alleged involvement in illegal quarrying in Barangay Kaluangan, Asturias, Cebu.

Police Colonel Roderick Mariano, chief of Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), said his men are now preparing for the filing of appropriate charges against the arrested individuals before the provincial prosecutor's office.

The suspects were allegedly caught in the act of extracting sand and gravel in the river and loading it into three trucks in Barangay Kaluangan at around 4:30 p.m. last Tuesday.

Mariano said the arrest of suspects was made after Garcia had issued Memorandum Circular No. 4-2019 last June 30 to stop all illegal quarrying within the Province of Cebu.

Garcia said the memorandum was issued to prevent damaging the environment which causes calamities.

"To put a stop to the unabated illegal quarrying activities in the Province of Cebu and to prevent the further degradation of the environment which causes calamities that result to massive destruction of properties and loss of human lives," read the memorandum.

Garcia has ordered that all sand and gravel permits issued by the provincial government will be suspended as well as the processing of permits pending review.

As compliance of the order, Mariano said he informed his men to conduct check points after their conference last Monday at the Cebu Capitol Social Hall. (FREEMAN)