No magnetite smuggling at Port Irene

This pertains to the news report “18 Chinese illegal miners arrested” (Across the Nation, 8/4/13), which unjustly put the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (Ceza) in a bad light, without being given the chance to present its side. To set the record straight:

1. The allegation that magnetite is being smuggled out of the country through Port Irene in the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport (CSEZFP) is without basis. There is no magnetite smuggling out of the port and the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (Ceza) does not abet any illegal operations within the zone.

Ceza, along with various government agencies, strictly adheres to regulations and a strict system of transparency. We, at Ceza, can allow magnetite resources to leave Port Irene only after these have been cleared by our partner agencies, namely, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB), the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Cagayan provincial office, upon submission of all documents and payment of the required fees. Likewise, ships are checked for customs and immigration-related concerns, among others, prior to the loading and unloading of goods. Indeed, a system of checks and balances are in place to eliminate smuggling and other illicit activities in the zone.

To clarify further, Ceza allows the use of Port Irene by legitimate port users, including mining companies operating outside Ceza’s jurisdiction and licensed by their corresponding local government units. These mining operators are actually recognized as investors by the provincial office and make use of the services of Port Irene under Ceza’s close supervision. Among the key documents Ceza requires prior to allowing mining companies to use Port Irene’s services are the Ore Transport Permit issued by the provincial government and MGB, the Mineral Ore Extraction Permit and Certificate of Mineral Origin issued by the MGB, and Authority to Load issued by the BOC.

At this point, we also wish to clarify that the recent shipments of Hua Xia Mining and Trading Corp. consisted of stockpiles extracted prior to the Cease and Desist Order. These items were covered by complete permits and clearances from various agencies and, thus, could not be treated as smuggled goods. For now, Ceza has recommended to the accredited service providers of Port Irene not to serve companies issued with the stoppage orders.

2. On the concern of the Federation of Environmental Advocates of Cagayan regarding the alleged unabated entry of illegal Chinese nationals through CSEZFP, Ceza would like to emphasize that all expatriates employed by our locators within the zone are legitimate. Ceza has not issued any permits to the undocumented Chinese nationals arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation. As with the use of Port Irene, a standard procedure is followed for evaluating and processing working visas of expatriates, with the assistance of the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Labor and Employment, in accordance with certain provisions and special conditions. Aliens illegally working here, upon discovery, are arrested right away.

—NILO A. ALDEGUER,

senior deputy administrator,

Cagayan Economic Zone Authority,

The story was based on information from my sources.

—MELVIN C. GASCON,

correspondent,

Inquirer Northern Luzon