A barangay chairman and four other persons have been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) BI for alleged illegal quarrying activities in Balanac River in Laguna.
NBI Officer-In-Charge Director Eric B. Distor on Wednesday, March 17. identified those arrested last March 11 as Barangay Balanac Chairman Dennis Olipano, Michael Abad, Randy delos Reyes, Danilo Noriel and Abner Davac.
Distor said they were arrested by the agents of the NBI’s Environmental Crime Division (NBI-EnCD).
“Subjects were arrested for disposing and extracting boulders and minerals from Balanac River, Laguna without necessary permits from DENR-MGB (Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau) or the PMRB-Laguna (Provincial Mining Regulatory Board),” the NBI said in a statement.
During the operation, the NBI said Olipano was caught transacting with operatives “to sell four (4) truck loads of boulders for a price of P17,000 per truck.” The NBI also seized four trucks with a total estimated value of P6 million and 30 cubic meters of boulders and fabricated screens with an estimated value of P43,000.
Those arrested were presented for inquest proceedings before the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila for violation of Section 103 of Republic Act 7942, the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, and Section 3 (e) of RA 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.