ILOILO — Authorities have intensified their crackdown on illegal quarrying, resulting in the seizure of 21 dump trucks and one pay loader in a two-week operation that uncovered document tampering, misdeclaration, and unauthorized hauling activities across several towns in Iloilo Province.
The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) said the anti-illegal quarry operations were conducted from April 25 to May 6, 2026 in coordination with the Iloilo Provincial Government’s Task Force Overloading as part of a campaign to curb illegal extraction activities and protect the province’s natural resources.
The Santa Barbara Municipal Police Station recorded the highest number of apprehensions with eight cases, police records showed.
The Miag-ao Municipal Police Station followed with four apprehensions, including the confiscation of one pay loader.
The San Miguel Municipal Police Station logged three apprehensions, while Cabatuan recorded two.
Meanwhile, police stations in Zarraga, Oton, New Lucena, Badiangan, and Tigbauan each reported one apprehension.
According to the IPPO, most of the violations involved incomplete, falsified, or irregular quarry-related documents.
Among the violations cited were incompletely filled-out documents, misdeclared entries, tampered delivery receipts, open-dated contracts, and the absence of hauling contracts.
Authorities said these violations constitute breaches of Section 2H.35, Paragraph B-18 of the Revised Revenue Code of Iloilo, which covers illegal quarrying activities.
Several of the confiscated dump trucks remain impounded at police stations where charges have been filed, while legal proceedings against the operators and drivers are ongoing.
Police said the apprehended individuals are facing cases related to illegal quarrying operations.
The IPPO stressed that operations against illegal quarrying will continue amid concerns over its environmental impact and the loss of government revenues.
“The police will not stop its strong campaign against illegal quarrying in order to protect the natural wealth of the Province of Iloilo,” the IPPO said in its statement.
Authorities added that the intensified enforcement drive is aimed not only at ensuring compliance with environmental and revenue laws but also at preventing long-term ecological damage caused by unauthorized extraction activities
Earlier, the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO) head Atty. Cesar Emmanuelle Buyco Jr. admitted that while illegal quarry operations are no longer widespread, the activity has not been fully eradicated.
“Very active ang aton task force on overload(ed trucks transporting quarried materials). Ang aton team may collaboration sa PNP (Philippine National Police) with the help of (Iloilo Police Provincial Office) director Bayani Razalan,” Buyco said when asked about the current situation.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. has ordered PGENRO to clamp down on illegal quarrying.
Buyco identified the towns of Dueñas, Calinog, and Lambunao as key areas where illegal quarrying continues.
According to Buyco, intelligence reports indicate powerful individuals are behind illegal quarry operations.
“May involved nga politicians, businessmen, kag dalagku nga mga negosyante, a landowner, and uniformed personnel but I can’t say kun PNP, Navy or Army,” he said without giving specific names.
Buyco stressed the need for collective action to dismantle these networks.
PGENRO records show that more than 50 quarry permits have been issued across Iloilo Province, underscoring the need to distinguish legal operations from illegal ones./PN
