Gov, 7 others can’t leave PH

PANGASINAN Gov. Amado Espino Jr. and seven others accused of graft for illegal black sand mining in Lingayen Gulf have been barred from leaving the country without court permission.

The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division issued a hold departure order (HDO) Tuesday, directing the Bureau of Immigration to stop Espino or any of his coaccused at the airport should they attempt to leave the country.

The others covered by the HDO are Pangasinan province’s former administrator Rafael Baraan and former housing and urban development coordinating officer Alvin Bigay, both of whom have been dismissed by the Ombudsman; Cynthia Camara and Lolita Bolayog of Alexandra Mining and Oil Ventures Inc., and Michael Ramirez, Gina Alcazar and Avery Pujol of Xypher Builders Inc.

Espino and the others were charged with graft by the Ombudsman last week for conducting illegal black sand mining operations from 2011 to 2013 in the Lingayen Gulf, an environmentally critical area.

The Ombudsman’s investigation showed that Alexandra Mining was issued in June 2011 a small-scale mining permit that was later cancelled, so the firm was told to vacate the Lingayen Gulf area.

 Criminally liable

In August 2011, Espino entered into an agreement with Xypher Builders to remove the metallic materials from the stockpile left behind by Alexandra Mining.

The Ombudsman said that Espino, Baraan and Bigay were criminally liable for issuing permits and transacting with Alexandra Mining and Xypher Builders when the firms were not accredited contractors and were not qualified to undertake mining activities or a supposed golf course development in the area.

The extraction of the black sand or magnetite took place from 2011 to 2013 in an area that was enclosed by the provincial government with a 3-kilometer-long 6-foot-high concrete wall spanning the coastal barangays of Sabangan, Estanza and Malimpuec.

According to resident Rolando Rea, 72, who filed the complaint with the Ombudsman, the provincial government made it appear that the wall was part of a planned golf course along the Lingayen coast.

He said the wall actually served to block the residents’ view of the illegal mining.

He said the wall was still standing and continued to deprive local residents, especially the fishermen, of access to the sea. Dona Z. Pazzibugan