By Celeste Anna R. Formoso
PALAWAN GOVERNOR Joel T. Reyes is facing graft charges from the Office of the Ombudsman allegedly for allowing Platinum Group Metals Corporation (PGMC), a small mining company operating in the town of Narra in southern Palawan, to haul out mineral ores twice the volume it was allowed for two years.
Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro has also included Antonio Baguyo, the technical secretariat of the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB).
In a resolution from the Ombudsman’s office, he said there is a “probable cause” to charge Reyes and Baguyo for purportedly consenting to PGMC’s over extraction of mineral ores for its two-year permit.
Two counts of graft were ordered filed on Friday, February 1, against Reyes and Baguyo by the Ombudsman for infringing Republic Act 3019 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, ABS-CBN said.
According to Casimiro, the case was due to a complaint filed by a certain Fernando Santos of the environment group Katipunan Para sa Kalikasan two years ago in August. In his complaint, Santos claimed that Reyes and Baguyo allowed PGMC to extend its permit for another two years despite breaching the stipulations in its permit.
Allegedly, PGMC was able to transport out of the province 282,729 metric tons of mineral ores which was two times higher than what the mining law provides for small scale mining operators. The shipments were valued at more than P500 million.
In the law, small scale mining operators are only allowed to ship out 50,000 metric tons of mineral ores every year. Mining companies under the small scale mining are not also allowed to use heavy equipments to dig up ores. But in the case of PGMC, the complainant alleged that there were blatant use of not manual labor, but payloaders and graders and others.
Santos alleged that the other shipments that were made seemed to have robbed the government of needed revenues because they were transported without records.
In January 2007, Santos claimed that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) already cancelled the permit of the small mining company, but Reyes and Baguyo failed to bring to an end its operation.
In defense of Reyes, Provincial Information Officer Rolando E. Bonoan, Jr. told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the graft case was “suspicious” because the governor and Baguyo appeared to have been singled out in the case.
Reyes, on the other hand, has refused to give any personal statement regarding the case saying he has not received yet a copy of the resolution.
Supporters of Reyes meanwhile, when asked if they’re aware of Katipunan Para sa Kalikasan, said they do not know the NGO.
Social Markers
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
