By Ric Obedencio
The Bureau of Customs (BoC) is alarmed over the export of manganese from Bohol, said Engr. Rene Villaber, head of the Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO).
Apprehensions brew after the recently controversial seizure by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of manganese extracted in Anda town.
Both Gov. Erico Aumentado and Vice-Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera assailed the act of the NBI. The raid was not properly coordinated with the Task Force Kabukiran (TFK).
Aumentado created TFK to curb indiscriminate illegal logging and quarrying in the province so the environment may be preserved and protected.
The vice-governor lamented that NBI's inappropriate action has contributed to the growing public outcry and distrust to the government because of abuses. In attaining a certain degree of success in whatever government project or activity being undertaken for the people, government agencies should put their acts together, he said.
Villaber told Sangguniang Panlalawigan environment committee chair, Board Member Alfonso Damalerio II that a group of BoC operatives rushed to Anda town to monitor the reported manganese shipment from the province. He confirmed that the minerals are exported to China. But he could not estimate the volume.
He said BoC's action was an offshoot of a letter it received from Malaca�ang on the reported exportation.
Villaber bared that BoC is apprehensive because the manganese shipment particularly those made by traders Lang Warren and Domingo Chua did not pass through BoC's procedures. He said that BoC tried to inspect the said export.
Villaber has provided the BoC with all the documents supporting Anda manganese mining operated by a certain Sofronio Simacio, reportedly the brother-in-law of Mayor Paulino Amper.
BoC's suspicion on the reported shipment was bolstered when they saw a large barge bound for Bohol at the time of their inspection but only to learn that the barge was heading Garcia-Hernandez town where the large-scale limestone mining is located.
Bohol also is exporting limestone.
He said the governor was also worried that some 120 workers and their families might be affected.
The governor pointed out the permittee (Simacio) has the proper documents in manganese mining and if there are some lapses stipulated in the Environmental Compliance Certificate and other regulations they must be rectified but not to cancel the operations.
The raid was reportedly prompted due to the overlapping of areas claimed and mined.
Simacio's mine area is said to be overlapping with that of Chua. Chua allegedly commissioned the NBI to conduct raid for the alleged encroaching of his claims. But it was also reported that the raid was carried out because of trade competition between Warren and Chua.
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