Barangay Libertad in the
Municipality of Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte was badly hit twice (in 1999 and
2014) by flood that caused properties, livelihood and lives of the
residence. This experience prompted the
people of the barangay to oppose the quarry application in Mialunod River which
is a tributary river of Napo River.
In September 2014, Mr. Edgar
Tiongco, represented by Mr. Hipolito Arcaso, applied for a quarry permit of
45,000 meters long in the Barangay. During the public consultation to discuss
the said application, held on October 3, 2014 with the participation of the
Municipal Mayor, Vice-Mayor, Councilors and Municipal Planning and Development
Officer, the quarry application was opposed by the community.
In the 19th Regular
Session of the barangay council dated October 15, 2014, the barangay council
voted whether to give Mr. Edgar Tiongco permit or not in his application to
quarry. Despite the opposition from the community, three (3) councilors voted
no while four (4) voted yes. However, considering the clamor of his people to
stop the quarry application, Barangay Captain Mervin V. Roble did not sign the
barangay resolution permitting the quarry to operate.
With his refusal to sign the
resolution, the Barangay Captain was sued with administrative case in the
office of Sangguniang Bayan by Mr. Tiongco. As a result, the Sangguniang Bayan
of Kauswagan enacted a resolution for his preventive suspension as Barangay
Captain while the investigation of the case filed against him is on the process.
The preventive suspension order was served on March 10, 2015. With his
suspension, the 1st Brgy. Councilor who is among those who voted yes
to grant the quarry permit will act as the OIC.
Prior to the preventive
suspension of the Barangay Captain, on February 7, 2015 the community initiated
a petition signing. The petition, which already gathered 589 signatures
representing seven (7) puroks, was turned into a unified Purok Resolution
reiterating their demand: NO TO QUARRY IN MIALUNOD RIVER, YES TO FLOOD CONTROL. During the Special Session of the Barangay
Council on February 26, 2015, a barangay resolution approving the said Purok
resolution was passed and approved by 4 barangay councils.
Since March 2, 2015 the community has been organizing placard
raising, mobilization along the highway, prayer rally in the Barangay
Auditorium and sending of complaint letter to the Office of the Governor to
demand: NO QUARRY, YES TO FLOOD CONTROL and LIFT THE PREVENTIVE SUSPENSION OF
THEIR BARANGAY CAPTAIN.