MANILA, Philippines–An environmental group on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to issue a protection order for the mountains in Bolitoc, Sta. Cruz, Zambales.
The petition was filed against DMCI Holdings Incorporated and DMCI Mining Corporation, which have been engaged in the mining of metallic ore in Zambales.
In a 10-page petition, Agham partylist President Angelo Palmones said a temporary protection order is necessary because the mining activity has already leveled a land along Bolitoc village, Sta. Cruz, Zambales.
Agham claimed that DMCIHI dumps the soil from the scraped land formation into the seas off Sta. Cruz to form part of the latter’s port.
“The subject land formation being destroyed by respondent DMCIHI serves as natural protective barrier of the residents of Zambales and that of the nearby towns of Pangasinan from typhoons and sea surges caused by it like what happened in Tacloban City, Leyte and some parts of Samar,” the petition said.
“Once these natural resources are damaged, the residents of these two provinces will be virtually defenseless and their life, health and properties will be at the constant risk of being lost,” the petition added.
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