Groups clash over gold, quarry in Trinidad

The conflict between local residents, a farmers’ group, a quarry operator and small-time gold miners could boil over as government intervention has been dallying around the controversy.

Although it has been found operating illegally, a riverbed quarry extracting sand and gravel that is owned by a municipal councilor of Trinidad town, remains in operation despite having been declared as illegal and environmentally harmful by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro), the Bohol Environmental Management Office (Bemo) and the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Trinidad.

In a telephone call made to Station dyRD’s “Inyong Alagad” on Wednesday, Hugpong sa Mag-uumang Bol-anon (Humabol) secretary general Danilo Olaivar negated claims made by Municipal Councilor Pablo Molos that there have been no actual complaints from local residents or farmers regarding the operation of his sand and gravel extraction along the Kinan-oan creek in Barangay Banlasan, Trinidad.

Olaivar called on government agencies, specifically the DENR and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) and Gov. Edgar Chatto, to issue a stoppage order against the quarry operations of Councilor Molos

The Humabol spokesman said that the SB of Trinidad, during four hearings of the committee on environment chaired by Councilor Pablo Utara, found out that the extraction of sand and gravel and the operation of a crusher and washery along the Kinan-oan creek, owned by their colleague Councilor Molos, caused damages to the riverbed and agreed to recommend for its stoppage to be endorsed to the SP and the Office of the Governor.

According to Olaivar, even separate inspections conducted by Penro Nestor Canda and Bemo head Leonilo Lafuente, verified that the quarrying at Kinan-oan has affected villagers in five barangays of Sto. Tomas, Banlasan, Kinan-oan, Cabiguhan and San Vicente who are dependent on the creek for fishing, drinking water for their farm animals and the irrigation of their ricefields and farmlands.

Thousands of residents are being affected, Olaivar said, as the washery and crusher, including backhoe and 10-wheeler trucks hauling sand and gravel along the creek, owned by Molos has turned the water in the creek murky.

But during an interview with “Inyong Alagad” on Monday, Molos said it is not his crusher and washery that has caused the murky waters of Kinan-oan, but the gold panning activities along the creek by some locales who are resorting to gold mining in between planting and harvest seasons.

Molos claimed he already moved some 50-meters away from the creek where he has constructed an impounding basin to divert water from his washery from the Kinan-oan.

But these small-time gold prospectors, denied the allegation of Molos, saying that their gold panning activity along the Kinan-oan creek is just minor compared to the washery of Molos.

In fact, small time miners cited that Molos’ washery does not have an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) and is operating under a permittee acting as a dummy for the municipal official.

Olaivar said the provincial officialdom must act immediately on the dispute between these groups to avert hostilities.