CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Authorities arrested five individuals and confiscated approximately ₱6 million worth of heavy equipment and mining paraphernalia during a joint anti-illegal mining operation in Sitio Pasao, Barangay Dansolihon, Cagayan de Oro City, on Thursday afternoon, July 2, dealing another significant blow to illegal mining activities in Northern Mindanao.
The operation, conducted at around 5:20 p.m., was led by the Police Regional Office 10 (PRO-10) through Police Station 8 of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO) in coordination with the City Mobile Force Company (CMFC-MGB Deputized), Regional Intelligence Division (RID) 10, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region X, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-MGB), and barangay officials of Dansolihon.
According to authorities, the operation targeted an active illegal mining site situated along a river in Sitio Pasao following reports of unauthorized mineral extraction in the area.
Upon reaching the site, the joint operating teams discovered unmistakable signs of ongoing mining operations, including fresh excavation marks, shallow mining pits, and stockpiles of mineralized soil and sand believed to contain gold and other valuable mineral ores. The findings indicated that extraction activities had been actively taking place before law enforcers arrived.
Five male suspects, all residents of Zone 1, Barangay Pigsag-an, Cagayan de Oro City, were apprehended during the operation.
Authorities also reported that several other unidentified individuals who were actively engaged in mining activities fled the area upon noticing the arrival of law enforcement personnel. Efforts are underway to identify and locate the fleeing suspects.
Seized during the operation were two fully operational hydraulic excavators—a Caterpillar and an XCMG unit—along with two water pumps, four shovels, three gold pans, assorted mining mattings, and various hoses used in mineral extraction.
The confiscated heavy equipment and mining paraphernalia have an estimated market value of approximately ₱6 million.
The recovered equipment has been secured for documentation, inventory, and technical verification by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to determine the full extent of the illegal mining activities and the environmental damage caused by the operation.
The five arrested suspects are currently under the custody of Police Station 8 of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office while appropriate charges are being prepared against them.
Authorities said the suspects will face charges for violating Republic Act No. 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, which governs the exploration, development, utilization, and conservation of the country’s mineral resources and penalizes unauthorized mining operations.
Police Regional Office 10 Regional Director Christopher N. Abrahano commended the operating units for the successful implementation of the joint operation and reaffirmed the police force’s commitment to protecting the environment and preserving the country’s natural resources.
“The successful operation demonstrates the strong collaboration among law enforcement agencies, environmental authorities, and local government units in combating illegal mining activities that threaten public safety and cause irreversible damage to the environment,” Abrahano said.
PRO-10 reiterated that its intensified campaign against illegal mining will continue across the region, emphasizing that unauthorized extraction of mineral resources not only violates the law but also contributes to environmental degradation, river siltation, deforestation, and increased risks of flooding and landslides.
Authorities urged the public to report illegal mining activities to the nearest police station or concerned government agencies to support ongoing efforts in safeguarding the country’s natural resources and ensuring that mining operations are conducted only in accordance with existing environmental and mining laws.