DENR task force stops Aklan river dredging

AKLAN, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the dredging of the Aklan River to stop, following protests from residents of Bakhaw Norte in Kalibo.

The National Environmental Crime Task Force was directed to implement the cease and desist order on the dredging operations of Santarli (STL) Panay Resources Company Limited. 

DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Arturo Valdez led the task force on Tuesday, January 31, during the inspection of MV Zhong Hai 18, which STL has commissioned to dredge the heavily-silted Aklan River. 

“Nag-reklamo ang mga tao sa dredging operations. Nag-issue kami ng cease and desist order, kaya na-enforce namin to stop the operations,” Valdez said. 

(The people complained about the dredging operations. We issued a cease and desist order, so we enforced the ceasing of operations.)

The vessel, with 18 Chinese nationals on board, was also not cleared for departure from Philippine waters pending the filing of charges against the crew.

“May kaso silang haharapin sa atin. Pag umalis ang barko na walang clearance, ma-blacklisted sa mga international ports at ipapadakip pa rin natin ang crew. Nakita natin sa mga compartments ng barko may mga dredged material na nakuha sa Aklan River. Kumuha tayo ng mga samples ng mga bato para malaman natin ang klase,” Valdez said.

(They will face a case. If the ship leaves without clearance, they will be blacklisted in international ports and we will ask for the crew to be detained. We saw dredged material stored in the ship’s compartments. We took some samples so we can study the material.)

‘Kalibo, I heard you’

In a statement, DENR Secretary Gina Lopez said her department will file cases against the Chinese nationals, whom she said had no papers or permits to conduct dredging operations.

She added that the dredging operations has adversely affected the area.

“The ship’s dredging has caused soil erosion in sandbars that act as a natural barrier against natural disasters… It is also affecting more than 40 households and the people are up in arms from Kalibo mayor William Lachica, the Church and the Metro Kalibo Water District. We also witnessed four houses eroding down the river,” Lopez said.

“Kalibo, I heard you. The local residents were with DENR all the way – from submitting complaints about STL’s dredging, to enforcement coordination, and even offering our men in uniform something to eat after the operations. Now Brgy Bakhaw Norte can sleep peacefully at night once again without the dredging sounds and fish can again pass through the river channels. Today, the eco warriors inside of us is alive and well,” she added.

Following the complaint of Bakhaw Norte residents, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO)-Aklan chief Ivene Reyes issued on January 26 a show-cause order compelling STL to justify its dredging activities.

STL has yet to answer why no legal action should be imposed against the company, after a multipartite monitoring team reported the violations of MV Zhong Hai 18. 

The monitoring team noted that 1,200 cubic meters of sand was dredged and stored in two compartments of the vessel last week.  

Earlier, some 100 residents of Bakhaw Norte staged a march protest and rally outside the offices of PENRO, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the provincial government of Aklan to urge officials to stop the dredging operations. 

Under its Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the provincial government, STL is tasked to dredge 15 million cubic meters of sand in Aklan river for 3 years. The dredged material will be transported by a bulk carrier ship commissioned by STL to Singapore.

It is also stipulated in the MOA that STL will pay the Aklan government P5 per cubic meter of material it dredges. – Rappler.com