Vice gov, politician wife, DENR exec face quarry raps

MAASIN CITY—A graft complaint had been filed against Vice Gov. Sheffered Tan, his wife and an official of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for allowing two private entities to quarry in the province’s biggest river even if they have no authority to do so.

Aside from the vice governor, named respondents in the complaint filed in the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas based in Cebu City, were Tan’s wife, Sogod Mayor Imelda Uy-Tan, and Alilo Ensomo, MGB director for Eastern Visayas.

The complaint was filed by Eriberto Bandibas, official of Sogod Small Scale Fishermen Association, a group opposing quarrying in Subang Daku River in Sogod town.

He accused the officials of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019) for giving undue advantage to Shemberg Marketing Corp. and Ma. Selena Salas by allowing them to quarry in the river despite a memorandum issued by MGB central office that required quarry operators to secure a permit from the Department of Public Works and Highways, which has control over dredging in the river.

When reached for comment, Vice Governor Tan said he had yet to receive a copy of the complaint.