Romblon execs, residents declare war on destructive mining

Local officials and residents of Romblon have banded together and declared a total war on destructive mining in the province, especially on Sibuyan Island.

In a dialogue held in Magdiwang town, Romblon officials headed by Gov. Natalio Beltran lll said they would allow open pit mining and the artisanal or mano-mano method but not the use of chemicals to prevent a repeat of the environmental disaster in nearby Marinduque years back.

Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona said destructive mining should never be tolerated on the island as he urged residents to be vigilant and supportive of their cause.

Chief Superintendent Luisito Palmera, police director of Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), said Madrona called for the dialogue to ease tension in the island-province following the recent killing of San Fernando town councilor Armin Marin, 45, an environmentalist.

“The dialogue somewhat restored the atmosphere of normalcy in the island,” Palmera said.

Aside from Palmera, Beltran and Madrona, Mayors Ibarra Manzala of Magdiwang town, Nicasio Ramos of Cadijiocan and Naneth Tansingco of San Fernando, provincial department heads, officers of government line agencies, the clergy, anti-mining advocates, non-governmental organizations, residents and the provincial police represented by its director, Senior Superintendent Eugenio Alcovindas, attended the dialogue.

According to Palmera, the local officials, residents and anti-mining advocates engaged in a heated discussion over the continued pre-mining operations, especially those of the Sibuyan Nickel Properties Development Corp.

He said the local officials were able to convince the residents and anti-mining advocates that to sustain the island’s development, “responsible and controlled mining should be given prime consideration for (it) to be beneficial to the majority and not the selected few.”

Beltran, Madrona and the three mayors lauded Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza for banning the cutting of trees in Sibuyan by small-scale miners and prohibiting the issuance of more tree-cutting permits.

“The residents are convinced that their officials are doing their best not only for their welfare but also for the economic development of the island-province,” Palmera told The STAR.

Meanwhile, Palmera said charges of murder and violation of the gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) were filed before the provincial prosecutor’s office against Mario Chinalpan Kingo, 49, for the killing of Marin.

Kingo, security chief of Sibuyan Nickel Properties Development Corp., is now detained at the Romblon jail.

Right after the dialogue, Palmera accompanied Beltran and Madrona to the crime scene to get a first-hand evaluation of the shooting incident and conduct personal interviews with the residents there. – With Ed Amoroso