Zambales Mayor under Fire

A Zambales mayor came under fire yesterday for allegedly protecting an illegal miner and coercing a legit company to give 25 percent of its Mineral Producting Sharing Agreement to the local Government before it can be allowed to continue its mining operations.

The mayor, sources said, was using one of the town’s barangays to harass the company. He allegedly forced a barangay chairman to lodge a complaint before the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, citing the alleged damage the company has been causing the environment an the tourist spots area.

The sources added that the mayor also issued press releases assailing the firm. The DENR immediately dispatched an investigating team but found nothing to substantiate the barangay chairman’s allegation.

The mayor, sources said, has been linked to an illegitimate mining company which operates with impunity. They claimed the mining firm was found guilty of illegal mining and its equipment impounded, but still managed to continue its mining operations. “The firm has the backing of the mayor, the police and goons,” the sources said.

They claimed that the operations only halted when the police, the central office of the Mine and Geosciences Bureau and the DENR secretary’s office were bombarded with complaints from legitimate mining companies.

Civil and administrative cases were filed against the illegal mining company, but the case’s progress is very slow.

The sources said the mayor has turned a blind eye on the issue which has been hogging newspaper headlines.