Miag-ao, Iloilo Mayor Richard Garin is holding off on addressing a newly filed complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas concerning supposed illegal quarrying operations in his town, noting that he has yet to receive an official copy of the document.
“I have not seen the complaint, so indi pa kita maka comment. Let’s just wait,” said Garin on Monday, July 13.
The legal action stems from a complaint lodged by Salvador Acsay Jr., who claims the local government unit (LGU) violated Republic Act No. 7942, also known as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995. Named alongside Mayor Garin in the charge sheet are municipal employees Larry Munion, Ronilo Namo, and Isidro Mosura.
According to Acsay, he personally witnessed local government trucks hauling sand and gravel from the Tumagbok River on multiple dates in mid-June.
He asserted that the extraction and transport of the materials lacked the necessary permits from the Iloilo Provincial Government and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO), adding that police officers present at the site failed to intervene. Acsay further claimed that the operations were directly ordered by the mayor to source materials for an access road.
Dismissing assertions that his legal move is a partisan attack, Acsay emphasized the gravity of the environmental regulations involved.
“This is not about politics. It is a national law that is being violated by the LGU,” Acsay said in a phone interview.
In response, Mayor Garin pointed out that this is not the first time Acsay has targeted town initiatives, noting a separate Ombudsman complaint Acsay filed against the municipal Responsableng Ginikanan Academy (RGA) program. Garin questioned the complainant’s motives and standing regarding that particular program.
“I don’t think he is the proper party for that complaint because he is not a parent of a learner. He has no justiciable interest,” Garin said. “Never judge someone’s character based on the words of another,” Garin added.