By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. yesterday said any settlement with Kabankalan City quarry operator Melvin Ibañez would be rejected, noting the P45 million the operator owes in penalties after committing 3,049 tax ordinance violations.

“Either he pays or he goes in prison,” the governor affirmed.

He said the case serves as a warning to other quarry operators, noting an additional charge of falsification of public documents will also be filed against Ibañez.

The quarry operator earlier called on Marañon to intervene on the matter, noting the cease and desist order issued by the Provincial Environment Management Office (PEMO), after he was found guilty of providing fake quarry coupons, which were used for the extraction and delivery of sand and gravel by private operators, was disrupting operations at his quarry, resulting in a substantial loss of income.

PEMO recently denied an appeal filed by Ibañez./DGB, WDJ