Photo courtesy of PNP
Four excavators worth an estimated Php 28 million were secured by authorities after being found at a site suspected of illegal mining activity in Barangay Tumpagon, Cagayan de Oro City.
Police Station 8 personnel conducted the operation in Sitio Sendong on Monday, August 17, together with representatives from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Northern Mindanao and local barangay officials.
Authorities reported finding signs of recent excavation and other activities associated with mining in the area. The presence of the machinery prompted further documentation and verification.
The four hydraulic excavators were inventoried and secured pending technical assessment by MGB-10, which will determine their appropriate disposition and whether mining regulations had been violated.
Several individuals reportedly left the area before police could establish their identities. No arrests were made during the operation, and authorities had yet to identify who owned or operated the equipment.
The investigation will determine whether activities at the site violated Republic Act No. 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, and other applicable regulations.
“Protecting our natural resources is part of our responsibility to the public. We will continue working with our partner agencies to properly monitor these areas, address concerns on the ground, and make sure that every action is done within the law,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez said.
The PNP said it would continue coordinating with mining regulators and local authorities as the circumstances surrounding the site are verified. No determination of illegal mining activity had been announced as of the operation.