Local fishermen with Kabalikat Charity
and local Jaycees aboard wooden bancas approach the bulk carrier ‘Peace Angel’
to stop its crew from loading illegally mined iron ore in Paracale, Camarines
Norte. – Photo courtesy of RIO PALIZA
DAET, CamNorte: A Chinese vessel
registered in Hong Kong was ordered by the
local government of Paracale, Camarines Norte and the Mines and
Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to hold its position within Philippine
territorial waters after local fishermen and members of civic organizations
stopped its crew from attempting to load iron ore mined from some of the mining
facilities there.
The Chinese bulk carrier Peace Angel
was held in abeyance at the shores of Pulangdaga in Paracale, Camarines Norte
after a group of fishermen, accompanied by Kabalikat Charity, Jaycees Paracale
and members of Save Pulang Daga Movement (SPDM), responded to a tip by an
unknown employee of Uni-Dragon Mining and Baotong Mining companies that a
loading operation would be carried out at around seven o’clock in the morning
of June 5, Tuesday.
Rio Paliza, president of the local
Jaycees and one of the prime movers behind SPDM, which is a civic group
organized to oppose illegal mining being perpetrated by Chinese mining
companies in Paracale, confirmed that they boarded two
motorized boats with representatives from the LGU to inspect the vessel and
stop it from loading 50,000 metric tons of iron ore which had been
declared by the MGB last May 16 as confiscated minerals after mine tailings
were found to have caused massive environmental devastation in the coastal
village of Pulangdaga.
Paliza said they enlisted the
cooperation of Mayor Romeo Moreno of Paracale who immediately came to the site
to speak with the crew of Peace Angel and serve the seizure order issued by the
MGB in Legazpi City.
Although he was not allowed by the crew
to board the ship, Moreno assisted representatives from the Coast Guard and the
Bureau of Customs in inspecting the vessel, which was later pronounced by the
Bureau of Customs as a legally registered carrier whose crew was
unwittingly and innocently tasked to load the confiscated minerals.
Customs declared in an ensuing closed
door meeting at the Office of the Mayor of Paracale with representatives from
LGU, SPDM, local fishers and Coast Guard that the vessel and its crew do not
have the proper permit to load the iron ore, Paliza said.
Recent development received by Bicol
Mail from SPPM revealed that the MGB has issued a cease and desist order
against the mining operations being done in Paracale by Uni-dragon and Baotong
Mining companies.
Meanwhile, the bulk carrier Peace Angel
remains anchored with its crew, halting its loading of the confiscated iron
ore, until proper permits are obtained by its representatives who were not
named for the meantime. – Bicol Mail
Members of Kabalikat and Coast Guard watch over the bulk
carrier ‘Peace Angel’ which has been ordered not to move until MGB
representatives come to inspect its papers. The crew allegedly hauled
confiscated iron ore from Paracale, Camarines Norte for transport to China. - Photo courtesy of RIO PALIZA
Somebody should keep vigilant on this....or this ship will just be gone one day with its iron concentrate cargo without any government official knowing it, hahaha! Sabi nga, weather weather lang!
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