ALLEGED BLACK SAND MINING

LINGAYEN— Fifth District Rep. Amado Espino Jr, through his lawyers, submitted a manifestation to the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division on Dec. 14, informing the court that he is voluntarily submitting to the suspension order from Dec.15, 2016 until March 15, 2017.

Espino said he respects the duly constituted authorities and gives high regard to the honorable Court and its legal processes and orders.

But he pointed out that “Such voluntary submission, however, is no way, an admission of guilt or culpability.”

“Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that Accused accepts this preventive suspension with a heavy heart as it effectively deprives his constituents of its voice in Congress,” the manifestation read.

“Nonetheless, Accused is submitting to the said preventive suspension… to show his willingness to cooperate with this Honorable Court and to abide by the rule of law,” it added.

Meanwhile, Rolando Rea of this coastal town and the remaining complainant (from original 13) in the graft case filed against Espino for allegedly allowing illegal black sand mining, said he would file a separate complaint against Espino to ask the Ombudsman to order him to return to the local government coffer the  amount of P10,750,000 alleged worth of extracted magnetite extracted in the coastal area in Lingayen town.

He said the amount could be used as fund of the barangay where the minerals were extracted.

Rea added that he would like to visit the Office of the Sandiganbayan to schedule him first as witness once hearings are set for the graft case against Espino.

He said he is already partly blind and his body is becoming weak. “I want to be the first to give my testimony so I can already rest,” he said.

He added that he is not seeking to be placed under the Witness Protection Program, saying “I do not want to give a wrong impression that once people in our barangay and town do not see me anymore here, they might conclude I was already paid to keep silent”.

He said he is thankful that lawyers of Tanggol Kalikasan are supporting him in his legal fight.

It will be recalled that after former President Fidel V. Ramos declared under Presidential Proclamation 1258 in 1998 that the parcels of land of the public domain in four barangays in Lingayen be segregated for eco-tourism, the provincial government under then Espino decided to develop the eco-tourism zone with a golf course project.

But to make the area provide the required vegetative growth for a golf course, it was recommended by experts that the black sand be removed, and be replaced with topsoil, so that the area can be planted with the appropriate grass and other vegetative growth.

Espino, former Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan and former provincial Housing head Alvin Bigay were charged for violation of Section 3 (e), Republic Act 3019 for authorizing unlawful magnetite extraction activities in favor of unaccredited contractors and allowing the alleged export of the minerals worth P10, 750,000 to China.

Both Baraan and Bigay had been dismissed from government service.

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