CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police arrested nine men on Tuesday, July 2, for violating Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s order to suspend small-scale quarry operations in Cebu province.
Police Colonel Roderick Mariano, director of Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), said the suspects were caught in the act of extracting sand and gravel and loading them to three trucks, which were parked in the vicinity of Barangay Kaluangan, Austrias town.
The town of Asturias is located 74.3 kilometers from Cebu City via the Cebu Transcentral Highway.
Mariano said there were 11 men involved in the operations but the two truck drivers managed to evade arrest.
READ: Gwen orders halt on all small-scale quarry operations in Cebu
Mariano said he received a complaint about illegal quarry operations from the governor’s office in the morning of July 2.
He said there was an immediate order from the Asturias Municipal Police Station to verify the complaint.
Police Sergeant Derwin Suico of Asturias Police verified that the men they arrested have no permits to show the authorities.
The trucks used to carry the sand and gravel are currently under the custody of the police and further investigation is being conducted to pursue the two other suspects who eluded arrest. / celr