Mayor-operator uses goons, defies authorities; claims he is close to P-Noy: Illegal quarrying poses danger to Ilocos towns
>> Sunday, December 25, 2011
By Mar T. Supnad
TAGUDIN, Ilocos Sur -- Provincial and Environment officials in the province expressed alarm last week over massive illegal quarrying along the Amburayan Bridge in this town posing danger not only to property but also to lives of three towns in this province and in nearby La Union.
As this developed, Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson directed the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office and the province’s committee on environment led by board member Robert Tudayan to file an environmental case against Mayor RoqueVersoza and the barangay captain in the area.
Tudayan, a lawyer, said illegal quarrying constitutes “violation of the people’s right to a balanced and healthful ecology.”
The quarry is allegedly operated by the mayor at the Amburayan River which divides the provinces of Ilocos Sur and La Union.”
Singson said despite repeated demands for Mayor to stop his alleged illegal quarrying “no one can stop him since he is claiming to be a close political leader of PresidentAquino.”
According to Singson, even the personnel of PENRO cannot prevent the illegal quarrying along the endangered Amburayan river since the mayor deployed armed goons and policemen in the area to protect the illegal quarrying.
Versoza cannot be reached for comment.
Tudayan said “the illegal quarry which is currently being operated downstream and is about to be operated upstream of the newly built giant Amburayan Bridge, poses danger to the life and safety of the residents of the uunicipalities of Tagudin in Ilocos Sur and Bangar and Sudipen in La Union particularly barangays situated near river banks.”
Tudayan reported to Singson that the “illegal quarry certainly poses danger to the life and safety of the people since the mayor undertakes the quarry not at the mainstream of the Amburayan River but near the river banks and near the houses of the residents thereby causing the flow of the water to run near the houses of the residents.”
Worst, Tudayan said the illegal quarry may likewise affect the newly built P500-M Amburayan Bridge because the continued operation near the bridge would certainly cause the collapse of the bridge.
Tudayan said in 2005, a memorandum of agreement was entered by and between the province of IlocosSur,the Department orf Public Works and Highways, the DENR-Region 1, and Mayor Versoza to conduct dredging operation to divert flow of the river away from residents living near the river banks who have been repeatedly suffering from flood and to collect taxes and fees on materials hauled out of the river and remit the same to the barangays concerned and to the province.
Tudayan said however that sometime in 2007, they received reports that the municipal mayor of Tagudin was no longer conducting dredging on the Amburayan River but instead, was already engaged in illegal quarrying.
This prompted the Provincial Board to investigate the supposedly dredging and found out the municipality of Tagudin had been engaged in illegal quarrying and illegally imposing taxes for the hauled sand and gravel, said Tudayan.
The SangguniangPanlalawigan of Ilocos Sur issued Resolution No. 076 Series of 2007 revoking and cancelling the MOA which authorized the respondent to conduct dredging operation at the Amburayan River.
The MOA was revoked because of the violation committed by respondent mayor when he allowed the quarrying operation at the Amburayan River instead of Dredging only as embodied in the MOA, said Tudayan.
Worse,Tudayan said, because of Versoza’s allegation that he had passed an ordinance for the expansion of quarry at the Amburayan river, he is now conducting quarry operations downstream of the Amburayan Bridge and is about to proceed upstream of the said bridge.
“This illegal action would undoubtedly place the people of Tagudin,and the people of the Sudipen and Bangar, particularly those living along the river banks to the perils of losing their lives,” Tudayan added.
As this developed, Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson directed the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office and the province’s committee on environment led by board member Robert Tudayan to file an environmental case against Mayor RoqueVersoza and the barangay captain in the area.
Tudayan, a lawyer, said illegal quarrying constitutes “violation of the people’s right to a balanced and healthful ecology.”
The quarry is allegedly operated by the mayor at the Amburayan River which divides the provinces of Ilocos Sur and La Union.”
Singson said despite repeated demands for Mayor to stop his alleged illegal quarrying “no one can stop him since he is claiming to be a close political leader of PresidentAquino.”
According to Singson, even the personnel of PENRO cannot prevent the illegal quarrying along the endangered Amburayan river since the mayor deployed armed goons and policemen in the area to protect the illegal quarrying.
Versoza cannot be reached for comment.
Tudayan said “the illegal quarry which is currently being operated downstream and is about to be operated upstream of the newly built giant Amburayan Bridge, poses danger to the life and safety of the residents of the uunicipalities of Tagudin in Ilocos Sur and Bangar and Sudipen in La Union particularly barangays situated near river banks.”
Tudayan reported to Singson that the “illegal quarry certainly poses danger to the life and safety of the people since the mayor undertakes the quarry not at the mainstream of the Amburayan River but near the river banks and near the houses of the residents thereby causing the flow of the water to run near the houses of the residents.”
Worst, Tudayan said the illegal quarry may likewise affect the newly built P500-M Amburayan Bridge because the continued operation near the bridge would certainly cause the collapse of the bridge.
Tudayan said in 2005, a memorandum of agreement was entered by and between the province of IlocosSur,the Department orf Public Works and Highways, the DENR-Region 1, and Mayor Versoza to conduct dredging operation to divert flow of the river away from residents living near the river banks who have been repeatedly suffering from flood and to collect taxes and fees on materials hauled out of the river and remit the same to the barangays concerned and to the province.
Tudayan said however that sometime in 2007, they received reports that the municipal mayor of Tagudin was no longer conducting dredging on the Amburayan River but instead, was already engaged in illegal quarrying.
This prompted the Provincial Board to investigate the supposedly dredging and found out the municipality of Tagudin had been engaged in illegal quarrying and illegally imposing taxes for the hauled sand and gravel, said Tudayan.
The SangguniangPanlalawigan of Ilocos Sur issued Resolution No. 076 Series of 2007 revoking and cancelling the MOA which authorized the respondent to conduct dredging operation at the Amburayan River.
The MOA was revoked because of the violation committed by respondent mayor when he allowed the quarrying operation at the Amburayan River instead of Dredging only as embodied in the MOA, said Tudayan.
Worse,Tudayan said, because of Versoza’s allegation that he had passed an ordinance for the expansion of quarry at the Amburayan river, he is now conducting quarry operations downstream of the Amburayan Bridge and is about to proceed upstream of the said bridge.
“This illegal action would undoubtedly place the people of Tagudin,and the people of the Sudipen and Bangar, particularly those living along the river banks to the perils of losing their lives,” Tudayan added.
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