Court suspends quarrying in Minglanilla

Local

QUARRYING activities in Barangay Guindarohan, Minglanilla Cebu have been temporarily stopped.

The Regional Trial Court Branch (RTC) 76 in the City of Naga has issued a 72-hour Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO) mandating JOMARA companies to temporarily halt its quarrying.

The order came after some concerned residents in the barangay filed a petition before the court, complaining that the continued quarrying activities in the area posed threat and danger to their lives and properties.

In a five-page order, Presiding Judge Dennis Larrobis said the court found sufficient evidence of urgent danger due to widespread ground cracks and unstable soil in the area where a number of families live nearby.

The court ordered JOMARA Konstruckt Corporation (JKC), and JOMARA Agri Foods and Supply Corporation to cease and desist from engaging in or doing quarrying activities, excavation, or removal of soil an rocks, sand and gravel or any other quarry materials in the area.

“The court finds prima facie merit that the alleged widespread disturbance of the earth’s crust in Barangay Guindarohan, Minglanilla, Cebu brought by the acts of respondents, underscores the urgency of the situation, the alarming environmental impact on the community, the continued violation on environmental laws, and most importantly, the serious threat to the lives of the families in the area, more specifically to those located within the sixty (60) meters from alleged excavation and quarrying zones….” read part of the order that was posted on social media by lawyer Benjamin Cabrido, the legal counsel of the petitioners.

The court cited multiple reports from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and Provincial Environment and Natural Resources which confirmed ground cracks around 10 within the assessed area, weak slopes and soil movement that if left unmitigated will cause landslides, especially during heavy rains.

Authorities like PENRO recommended to the companies to conduct rehabilitation in the work area to address the slope failure and to cease the development in both of its goat farm and motor pool.

The court set a summary hearing on May 6.(MyTVCebu)