A
ranking official of Carmen town is in hot water after being linked to be behind
an illegal limestone extraction going on at barangay Montesuerte, Carmen town.
The
warning was issued by Gov. Erico Aumentado last night after returning from an
ocular inspection at the quarry site situated in a secluded area in the boundaries
of Carmen, Sagbayan and Dagohoy towns. 
ILLEGAL
EXTRACTION. Gov. Erico Aumentado personally inspects a one-hectare limestone
quarry in barangay Montesuerte, Carmen town. The extraction was perpetrated without
permit from the provincial government. However, it denied Cebu media report that
the extraction was done at one of the hills in the Chocolate Hills area. Foto
CAPITOL
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | The
governor was irked upon seeing the illegal extraction since he knows Capitol has
not issued permits for extraction anywhere in Carmen town. He was doubly irked
when he was informed by the residents nearby that the extraction activity is being
done by a ranking town official.
He declined to identify the Carmen official
while he instructed Prov'l Attorney Handel Lagunay to file appropriate charges
against the government official behind the illegal extraction. |
The
inspection came as an off-shot to a photograph published on Cebu Daily News last
May 17 which stated that there is an illegal extraction conducted at the Chocolate
Hills in Carmen town.
Informed
of the Cebu media report, Gov. Aumentado immediately conducted his own investigation
together with Engr. Rene Villaber, head of the Bohol Environmental Management
Office (BEMO).
He
said that the Cebu daily was misled by whoever is the source of their photo since
there was no extraction going on in any of the 1,247 Chocolate Hills situated
in 17 barangays in Carmen and another 17 in Sagbayan town and two barangays in
Batuan.
Gov.
Aumentado, when interviewed by the Chronicle right after inspection said that
the site of the illegal extraction is far from the Chocolate Hills which he estimated
to be no less than 12 kilometers from the site.
During
his ocular check, the governor's team could not see any portion of the site which
could project that it was one of the 1,247 hills.
Since
no permit has been issued by the Capitol, thus, the extraction is surely illegal,
the governor stressed as he assured that the office of the provincial attorney
will file charges against the Carmen official. | 
