LINGAYEN—The provincial legal officer of Pangasinan wants the regional head of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) “to rectify or cause to be rectified the statement that the black sand recovered in the eco-tourism zone as “illegally sourced”.

Lawyer Geraldine Baniqued in a letter dated July 2 addressed to MGB officer-in-charge Regional Director Carlos Tayag of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said calling it illegally sourced is “being unfair and baseless, insofar as the province is concerned”.

Baniqued said the provincial government of Pangasinan will not defy or go against any lawful order from agencies of the national government, or of duly constituted authorities on the matter.

This, after Tayag, ordered in a decision dated May 15 the seizure of 9,588 cubic meters black sand purportedly made by Xypher Builders for the development of golf course over a two-hectare area in Barangay Sabangan here.

Baniqued reminded Tayag in her letter that the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) of Pangasinan, of which he is the chairman, “favorably and unanimously endorsed the application for government gratuitous permit of Pangasinan Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Office and its service contractor, Xypher Builders thru the issuance of Resolution No. 061, Series of 2011.”

She said it is clear that the pertinent permit for the extraction was issued, on the strength of favourable recommendation of the PMRB, “without which, said permit would not have been issued”.

Baniqued told Tayag, “ The seemingly inconsistent statements made over the issue of black sand mining appears to undermine the integrity of PMRB, as well the national agency that you represent, considering that your good office previously made statements affirming the fact that there was no mining activity in the golf course area.” (Tita Roces)

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