Cops nab 17 for illegal mining inside military training facility

BAGUIO CITY—Police on Thursday arrested 17 suspects, two of them 17-year-old boys, accused of conducting illegal mining operations inside the military-controlled Fort del Pilar, home of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

Reports from the Cordillera police said the mining activities had been busted by the police and PMA personnel after the discovery of several mining equipment near Tower 66 at the PMA compound.

For not showing legally-issued permits, police detained Rufino Zubia, Dayote Artemio, Miguel Legaspi, Mariano Lacondazo, Edgar Lupian, Paul Mark Rivera, Raffy Foy-awon, Felmore Empizo, June Rivera, Wilmer Maclinic, Marvin Lupian, Aimon Maclinic, Herodes Lingfiawan, Joshua Taño, Jake Maclinic, and the two teenagers.

Police had acted on information provided by the outlying communities at PMA.

Investigators are tracking down other miners who eluded arrest. JPV/rga