Politician allegedly linked to arrested Chinese workers in Paracale —PAOCC

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is looking into a local politician who is allegedly the "business partner" of the 11 Chinese nationals working in an illegal mine in Paracale, Camarines Norte, despite having only tourist visas.

“Meron ho silang business partner na, kung hindi ako nagkakamali ay pulitiko po, local politician doon sa Paracale,” said PAOCC spokesperson Dr. Winston Casio in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Tuesday.

(They have a business partner who, if I’m not mistaken, is a local politician in Paracale.) 

“Kung kaya’t pati din po ‘yung local politician, pati ‘yung kanyang mining company… ‘yan din po ay subject for investigation for possible filing of criminal charges,” he added.

(That’s why the local politician and his mining company are also subject for investigation for possible filing of criminal charges.)

Casio said the foreigners were recruited by the owner of the mining company.

He said two of the foreigners were hired as business financiers while the rest were hired as technical experts and workers for the mineral processing plant.

Casio added that the company has the necessary environmental compliance certificate (ECC) to operate, but it has expanded beyond the coverage of the license.

No Permit

The mineral processing plant where the 11 Chinese men were found to have been working also had no permit to operate, according to Mayor Romeo Moreno.

In a Unang Balita report, Paracale Mayor Romeo Moreno said he was unaware that the mine is operating.

Meanwhile, Paracale Councilor Amelia Oco, who is also the owner of the plant, said her business is mineral processing, not mining, and that she has a permit to operate.

Oco also said there are only five Chinese workers and not 11.

She added that the workers have business visas and that they are helping with the operation and installment of the plant.

In a public briefing on Tuesday, Casio said that the Chinese foreigners have already undergone immigration inquest and are now awaiting criminal inquest for violating the Philippine Mining Act and other laws pertaining to environmental protection.

Casio said that this case had no involvement with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

“Yung nahuli natin sa Paracale ay mga guerilla mining operations, at ito ay pangalawa sa mga naging operasyon namin laban sa illegal mining [operations] na pinapatakbo ng mga Chinese. Marami pa po kaming reports at patuloy na mga ipapasara na mga illegal mining operations all over the country as the day progresses,” they said.

(The ones we caught at Paracale are guerilla mining operations, and this is the second operation that we had against illegal mining [operations] run by the Chinese. We have had a lot of reports and we continue to close down illegal mining operations all over the country as the day progresses.)

—with reports from Mariel Celine Serquiña and Jiselle Anne Casucian/ VAL, GMA Integrated News