Authorities have shut down an illegal small-scale gold mining operation in Sitio Datal Saub, Barangay Datal Blao. This follows after an inter-agency raid spearheaded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 12 (DENR-12).
Reported by Philstar, the operation, which was carried out in coordination with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-12), the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-12), the Philippine Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion, and units from the Police Regional Office-12, was conducted last week on orders from DENR-12 Regional Executive Director Atty. Felix Alicer.
According to a statement from DENR-12, the raid was launched in response to multiple reports of water discoloration in the Dalol River, which originates from the forests surrounding the area. Authorities attributed the pollution to “banlas,” or clandestine hydraulic mining methods used in watersheds nearby.
Confiscated during the raid were mining equipment and long hydraulic hoses, which were found in makeshift shelters near the now-abandoned mining tunnels. These were confirmed in radio reports from Koronadal, Kidapawan, and Cotabato City.
Blaan tribal leaders, whose ancestral lands include the affected area, have expressed support for the crackdown. They urged DENR-12 to continue its campaign against illegal mining in Columbio, which is believed to hold substantial copper and gold reserves.
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