CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (January 28) — Authorities in Northern Mindanao have arrested 24 people, including two Chinese nationals, and seized PHP30.8 million worth of mining equipment in a weekend raid in Barangay Tingalan, Opol municipality, exposing the dangers of unregulated mining to both the environment and local communities.
The operation, conducted jointly by the Police Regional Office 10 (PRO-10), the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), and other agencies, targeted large-scale illegal operations threatening rivers, forests, and nearby villages.
Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano, PRO-10 director, said the raid demonstrates that organized networks are behind illegal mining, and authorities are pursuing them through ongoing intelligence and inter-agency operations.
“These activities destroy ecosystems, pollute rivers, and put the welfare of local residents at risk. We will pursue the larger networks behind these operations,” Abrahano said.
PAOCC Undersecretary Benjamin Acorda Jr. described illegal mining as a form of economic sabotage, underscoring its social and environmental consequences.
“Every raid is a step toward accountability and protecting our natural resources,” Abrahano added.
Environmental and social risks
Illegal mining in Northern Mindanao has serious ecological consequences:
- Soil erosion and river siltation, threatening fisheries and agriculture
- Chemical contamination, which can affect drinking water and crop production
- Loss of forest cover, increasing vulnerability to floods and landslides
Communities living near mining sites often bear the brunt. Local residents face health risks, water contamination, and disruption of livelihoods, highlighting the human cost of environmental crimes.
Abdulrahman Matalam, a community volunteer, said the raids provide hope:
“These operations protect both our land and our way of life. We cannot let our rivers and forests be destroyed.”
Next steps and accountability
- Confiscated equipment and ores will be turned over to the MGB
- Bureau of Immigration will verify the foreign nationals’ legal status
- Authorities vowed a sustained crackdown on illegal mining networks, ensuring perpetrators are held accountable for both environmental destruction and social harm
