6 Benguet miners held for violating Cimatu’s mine ban

ITOGON, Benguet – Six pocket miners were arrested this week for violating the government ban on small-scale mining which Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu imposed following the series of fatal landslides in this Benguet mining town in September.

Marlon Bugtay and brothers Rolando and Ariel Galletes Palangdan were arrested in Barangay Tuding on Thursday morning for processing ore. Three others were caught earlier in Barangay Poblacion on Wednesday.

Arrested on Wednesday were Daniel Naboye, 22; Ricky Pangaten, 28; and Adam Ngolab, 20. They were caught operating a Carbon Inpulp Processing (CIP) allegedly owned by resident Julius Ayadi, a police officer.

Prosecutors, however, dismissed the case filed against them following inquest proceedings on Wednesday night.

A team deployed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources confiscated ore and cyanide samples, six electric motors and a compressor.

Cimatu issued the ban on Sept. 17 after Typhoon “Ompong” triggered a series of Itogon landslides on Sept. 15, which killed 89 miners and their families. The biggest landslide tore down houses in Barangay Ucab here./lb