4 trucks of illegally quarried sand intercepted in Quezon

LUCENA CITY—Police on Wednesday intercepted four trucks full of illegally quarried beach sand taken from Tayabas Bay in Sariaya town in Quezon province, police said Thursday.

Senior Supt. Rhoderick Armamento, Quezon provincial police director, said elements from the Quezon Police Public Safety Company Technical Support Platoon under Chief Insp. William Angway Jr. intercepted one mini dump truck being driven by Whinsky Alcantara, one Isuzu Elf truck being driven by Regalado Mayuga and one Isuzu Elf truck being driven by Glicer Manalo in Barangay (village) Bantilan around 2 p.m.

In a follow-up operation, the same police group again intercepted one Isuzu Elf truck being driven by Alberto Ladislao Jr. in the same village around 4:30 p.m.

Police said the four vehicles were loaded with a total of 14 cubic meters of beach sand which were illegally quarried along the coast of Tayabas Bay.

Armamento said the four drivers failed to produce permit/authorization from the Quezon Provincial Mining Regulatory Board for the quarry materials. The suspects will be charged with violations of the

Philippine Mining Act of 1995 or Republic Act 7942.

Last month, the environmental legal defense center Tanggol Kalikasan in Southern Luzon (TK-SL) expressed alarm over the resurgence of illegal sand quarrying along the coast of Tayabas Bay which mostly happen during night time.

The unlawful sand mining destroys the natural condition of the beach which has been identified as favorite nesting sites of “pawikan” or sea turtles. The shore of Tayabas Bay in Sariaya is now known as “haven of baby sea turtles.”

The Sariaya coastline, host to many beach resorts and other tourist-oriented businesses, serves as sanctuary to turtles that usually come to lay and hatch their eggs from October to December. RAM/rga

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