Town readies criminal case vs Lepanto execs

THE local government of Mankayan will pursue the filing of criminal charges against personnel of the mining firm, which dumped asbestos-containing materials at Barangay Sapid.

Councilor Richard Kilaan said criminal charges are being prepared against officials of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. for dumping toxic wastes in the municipality.

The municipal government already filed administrative charges against the giant mining firm for violating provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

“We are now preparing the filing of the criminal charges aspect (of the case),” Kilaan said.

Early this year, the local government uncovered that Lepanto has been dumping materials which allegedly contain asbestos, a cancer-causing substance, at the Sapid village.

The materials were reportedly hauled from Lepanto’s main business office in Makati City.

Kilaan said the company already completed hauling the asbestos materials out of Mankayan two weeks ago.

But he said the local government is not letting up in filing criminal liabilities against the responsible officials of the company.

Among the respondents, the alderman said, would be the chief executive officer, the mining firm’s board of directors, administrative office, and resident manager.

At present, Kilaan said the municipality is still awaiting the action of the Environmental Management Bureau regarding the administrative charges it filed against Lepanto. –http://www.bloggen.be