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STA CRUZ, Zambales: Three mining companies based in
this mineral rice town located at the north end of Zambales are in a
turf war.
A Manila Times source said
that three small-scale mining companies, A3-UNA, Baby Bueno Mining
and Pilipinas Mining are battling it out for Barangay Lomboy’s
nickel reserve.
The source added that over
the weekend police authorities seized guns from the security
guards of A3-UNA and Baby Bueno, who apparently have joined forces
against Pilipinas mining.
“Pinag-aagawan nila yung Lomboy
area, paramihan sila ng security guards ngayon [,” the source
said.
Sta. Cruz Mayor Chito Marty
earlier told The Times that both Baby Bueno and A3-UNA are illegal
miners.
Also, last month Marty and
several residents in the area complained that illegal mining
activities, as well as the mining operations of Benguet Corporation
have slowly affected the environment.
Several tourism sites, streams
and even a fish sanctuary have allegedly been damaged by the said
mining operations.
In the town of Masinloc also from
this province, Mayor Jessu Edora said they are seriously considering
the issuance of a no mining ordinance, and are presently studying
their options.
He said that Zambales Governor
Amor Deloso gave a small-scale mining permit to a certain Golden
Harvest Mining Company but added that the company also wants to
dig up the watershed area in Barangay Sta Rita.
“While a smale-scale mining
permit was issued by the governor, the company is using heavy
equipment, so we suspect the arrangement will involve several
violations,” Edora continued.
“We don’t want our forest
destroyed so we are studying the no mining ordinance, so that we
wont suffer the same fate like the other municipalities in the
province,” Edora said.
He said his office has yet to
issue a permit to Golden Harvest to proceed with their mining
operation. “Should they start operating without our permission,
the company will be liable and we can have them arrested,” he
stressed.
--Anthony Bayarong
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