MikeLigalig.com

By Kit Bagaipo

City Mayor Dan Lim had cast doubts on one of the alleged shareholders of the international consortium that will undertake the oil exploration in the Bohol-Cebu Strait.

City Mayor Dan Lim revealed during a special edition of his weekly radio program "Mayor's Report" over Station dyRD yesterday that NorAsian Energy Ltd. and Alcorn Gold Resources were both linked to a certain Lucio Co, purportedly one of its major shareholders.

This was supposedly known by the mayor during a check he made after he learned of the international group contracted by the Department of Energy (DoE) to conduct a seismic survey off the Bohol-Cebu seas to determine the presence of oil and gas deposits.

Mayor Lim, who attended a consultative meeting called by Gov. Erico Aumentado at the Governor's Mansion last Friday, reiterated his position for a full disclosure, from both the DoE and NorAsian, on the different aspects of the project.

The mayor said he was surprised in finding out that the name of Lucio Co surfaced in his background check of Alcorn and NorAsian.

Co was allegedly implicated in 10 Senate inquiries, initiated by then Sen. Ernesto Maceda, for the former's involvement in smuggling activities, Mayor Lim disclosed.

While it was only a background check, the mayor vowed to look deeper into the dealings of these international firms including their Filipino associates.

The mayor said he is supporting oppositors of the project, and even vowed to help in filing a petition to block the seismic survey that will start tomorrow in the Cebu side.

Mayor Lim, who chairs the Maribojoc, Cortes, Tagbilaran, Panglao and Dauis (Macotapada) association, said scientific studies effects of seismic oil exploration indicate that the noise generated by the airgun array of the seismic vessel and such acoustic disturbances can harm fishes and marine life. (The Bohol Chronicle, June 17, 2007)

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