(January
26, 2004) - The owners and shippers of 85 container vans
of illegally-sourced pebbles from Dipolog City, Zamboanga Del
Norte now face criminal charges before the Manila Trial Court
after the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region IV (MGB-CALABARZON)
and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed cases against
them for “theft of minerals”.
On
September 21, 2003, operatives from the NBI, MGB and the Philippine
Coast Guard (PCG) confiscated 32 container vans at Pier 6 of the
Manila South Harbor, containing approximately 260 cubic meters
of washed-out pebbles with a declared value of P1.2 million. The
cargo shipper failed to present the appropriate pebble-picking
and ore transport permits required under Republic Act 7942, otherwise
known as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995. Shipment of minerals
not covered by the necessary mining permits and ore transport
permits are considered illegally-sourced and therefore constitute
“prima facie” evidence of illegal mining or “theft
of minerals” against those persons responsible for such
transactions.
The
MGB-NBI-PCG joint operatives again confiscated undocumented pebble
shipments on October 14, 2003 and November 18, 2003, inside 20
container vans and 33 vans, respectively.
The
shipper of the third shipment presented a pebble-picking permit
but MGB records revealed that the permit issued to the alleged
source or supplier of the materials had already expired. The MGB
consequently ordered the persons involved to submit additional
documents to validate the legality of the shipment or else face
seizure proceedings on their cargo as well as criminal liability
for violations of existing mining laws.
To
date, a total of 441.416 cubic meters of washed-out pebbles had
been seized and are presently impounded within the MGB Central
Office compound in Diliman, Quezon City awaiting a court order
for their disposition through auction or public bidding. Bidding
procedures to be followed shall be in accordance with the provisions
of R.A. 7942 and prevailing rules and regulations of the Commission
on Audit (COA). (By: MGB Region IV-A)
