GLAN, Sarangani Province— Local authorities here impounded an elf truck fully loaded with smuggled white sand from the bays of Glan town in Sarangani province.
On Tuesday night, April 4, Jury Basalo, village chief of barangay Taluya, together with barangay auxillaries locked an elf truck loaded with white sand and a pick-up truck carrying empty sacks at the compound of Taluya resort.
Authorities discovered shovels and other tools used in illegally hauling the white sand when the driver and other passengers of the trucks flew upon sensing the authoritiers.
Basalo said last night was the second incident in two weeks, but unfortunately, the first haul was able to escape while the persons who were commissioned to haul the white sand flew when they learned that the authorities are coming.
According to Jay Ar Cariño, the caretaker of the resort “Abi naku magfishing lang, wala mi nakabantay nga magawat og balas (I though they will only go fishing and we were not aware they were loading white sand).
Basalo, in vernacular said “Our sand here are white and very nice, a reason they are illegally quarrying it, but they must face the law, I will not tolerate it.”
“I am not aware where they will bring the white sand, Balasico added.
As it is now the vehicles are impounded The barangay has yet to ask the Land Transporation Office (LTO) to know the identityof the truck owner and ultimately know the driver and other passngers.
Illegal extraction of quarry is prohibited under Republic Act No. 7942 or also known as Philippine Mining Act of 1995.-with report from Regiland Yama
