PRO-6 investigates alleged quarry bribery scheme

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO 6) is probing allegations of officers soliciting protection payments from quarry businesses.

Brigadier General Jack Wanky, police director for Western Visayas, acknowledged receipt of such claims, yet specifics regarding location or officer identities were not disclosed.

Reports indicate that an officer purportedly sought a P50,000 monthly bribe from quarry operators.

Although not implicated in illegal activities, these operators may be breaching certain regulations, such as transporting materials outside designated times or overloading.

Allegedly, payments would ensure uninterrupted passage for their vehicles.

A dispute intensified when quarry operators voiced their dissent, prompting requests for intervention from a retired officer.

Upon learning this, the implicated police official is accused of plotting the former officer’s arrest, the details of which are unclear.

Wanky emphasized his commitment to thoroughly investigate this protection racket, indicating potential collaborations with both the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) in a recent press statement pledged to intensify its crackdown on illegal quarry activities.

Since the beginning of the year, 99 individuals have been detained for violating Provincial Ordinance 2017-145, with 97 operations leading to the seizure of trucks laden with quarry materials.

In collaboration with the Provincial Task Force Anti-Overloading, IPPO conducted 97 police operations that resulted in the impounding of 99 trucks loaded with sand and gravel, and other quarry materials.

Colonel Ronaldo Palomo, Iloilo’s police chief, lamented the persistence of such violations, including falsified delivery documents and overloaded vehicles.

“Usual violations are recurring, like tampered or not filled out delivery receipts, overloading, or misdeclared entries; and the [quarry] operators seemed to be not learning from their previous apprehensions,” Palomo said.

Despite previous arrests, these practices continue.

Palomo confirmed IPPO’s ongoing efforts to ensure quarrying and delivery operations adhere to environmental, social, and economic standards.