illegal mining continues to destroy Iponan River

By FROILAN GALLARDO

CAGAYAN DE ORO

(MindaNews / 18

May) – Illegal mining continues to destroy Iponan River despite the issuance on Writ of Kalikasan issued in 2013 that mandated various agencies to protect the river.

Director Felizardo Gacad Jr.,, head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), said they are “evaluating the damage to the river system because we believe it is much bigger than we earlier thought,” Gacad said in a press conference last Tuesday.

A joint operation by the DENR personnel, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents and Army elite Special Forces arrested five Chinese nationals and