Odong chides DENR for failure to stop quarrying

In another bout to protect the sanctity of Subang Daku, Congressman Aniceto Saludo, Jr. recently called the attention of environment officials for their failure to monitor the resumption of quarrying activities by Shemberg Marketing Corporation. 

Saludo said that in spite of the instruction of Environment Secretary Heherson Alvarez to suspend all forms of quarrying activities in the said river, his constituents recently reported that the controversial quarry operator, Shemberg, resumed extracting gravel and other deposits from the river for commercial use.

Saludo clarified that even as the Regional Crisis Reaction Team suggested re-channeling as a measure to dispose excess materials from the river in order to avert flooding of the nearby areas and prevent the disasters that may occur due to heavy rains or typhoon, the resumption of quarrying activities is still held in abeyance by Alvarez. 

According to Saludo, reports reaching his office indicated however that the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Environment Management Bureau (EMB) and Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau (MGB) have failed to keep an eye on the activities of Shemberg and other permitees. 

“To make their operation appear to be legitimate, these operators use the excuse that they are helping to re-channel the river.  But they are actually quarrying because they are extracting these deposits from the river”, Saludo explained.

Concerned persons however have recently reported that Shemberg has resumed extracting from the river on August 24, 2002 despite a suspension order issued by Alvarez on April 9. 

Because of this, Saludo advised EMB Regional Director Ernesto Manuel, DENR Regional Executive Director Pedro Calixto and MGB Regional Director Loreto Alburo to take punitive measures against Shemberg and other erring permittees.   “If we are dead-serious about saving the river from destructive self-vested interests, then we should implement strict rules that will force these operators to take our crusade seriously”, Saludo said. 

Shemberg, a quarry operator which has not been issued permit to operate its facilities since 1997, has been widely criticized by various environment groups for its irresponsible activities that has caused the degradation of Subang Daku River and the wanton destruction of major infrastructure projects in Southern Leyte.

(Released on September 6, 2003)