NEWS

By Sarwell Meniano and Roel Amazona

TACLOBAN CITY — The Police Regional Office 8 (Eastern Visayas) has assured that they are closely monitoring the situation in Homonhon Island to prevent violence following the escalation of the dispute between a mining firm and its partner company.

PRO-8 Director, Police Brig. Gen. Dionardo Carlos, said Wednesday policemen have been deployed to the mineral-rich island to prevent violence and not to protect the interest of investors.

“We would like to assure the public that the police regional office remains steadfast in our commitment to protect the populace, and not for the gains or interest of any of the contending parties. We deemed it necessary to deploy additional PNP personnel in the island to ensure the safety of Homonhon residents for any eventuality,” Carlos told reporters.

Last February 8, the police began deploying members of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion, Regional Public Safety Battalion, and Guiuan town police.

Tension escalated in the island after Cambayas Mining Corp. president Yan Ming went to the island to enforce the liquidation order against Tech Iron Mineral Resources, Inc. issued by the Taguig Regional Trial Court 21.

Cambayas filed a claim in court alleging its partner firm, Tech Iron is not compliant with their profit-sharing agreement. Tech Iron defended itself, saying that sharing will come from the net income of the operation. Cambayas drafted the agreement.

In November 2018, the court issued a resolution on the complaint favoring Cambayas, which its top official wanted to enforce even without a court sheriff.

Along with the Cambayas executives were some civilians who were supposed to replace the security personnel of Tech Iron.

Cambayas officials insisted on enforcing the court order, but Tech Iron persisted in following the proper procedure by letting the court sheriff serve it. Cambayas officials agreed to withdraw their personnel deployed to Homonhon Island early February.

The government sent policemen to secure the island. The policemen also arrested two persons allegedly employed by Tech Iron for violation of the election gun ban.

Tech Iron is one of three mining firms operating in the island. The other two are Mt. Sinai Mining Exploration and Development Corp.; and Emir Minerals Corp. As of 2017, Tech Iron has a total of 620 workers. The firm kicked off its chromite mining in December 2015, covering 1,500 hectares.

Homonhon is more than 20 km. from the mainland of Guiuan town. The island is best known as the site where Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese sailor under the Spanish flag first landed in the country’s soil after three months sailing in the Pacific Ocean on his way to the Moluccas Islands.

Source: PNA