By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Quarry operation along the Bago River located in Barangay Napoles in Bago City, Negros Occidental was ordered to temporarily halt after three people drowned to their deaths.

One of the fatalities was Riza Macatigos, a resident of Purok Paho in the said barangay.

Also killed were Macatigos’ 16-year-old and 11-year-old nieces.

Based on an investigation carried out by Bago City police, the minors along with Macatigos’ 13-year-old daughter were taking a bath in the river on Tuesday, March 29.

As the kids were horseplaying, Macatigos saw her daughter and two nieces struggling in the river prompting her to jump and help them.

Macatigos managed to save her daughter, but she and her two nieces drowned to their deaths.

Following the incident, punong barangay Pepito Eyoy Sr. of Barangay Napoles ordered the quarry site where the three people drowned to temporarily halt their operations.

Based on information obtained by local media, the quarry site was operated by a certain Jose Alvin Gonzaga.

The quarry was operating on a special permit which is set to expire on April 13 of this year.
There were also numerous complaints regarding the quarry site, and one complaint had even reached the Malacañang palace after the issue was taken up by popular broadcaster Ben Tulfo.
Malacañang would later order Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson to take action over the residents’ complaints, and the Provincial Environment Management Office would later visit the site.
Further information has also surfaced that back in 2021, a public hearing was also conducted with regards to the quarry site, however, the residents of Purok Paho, who are heavily opposing the operation of the quarry, failed to appear.
Only the complainants from Purok Suha, Humay and Bibi appeared in the said public hearing./DGB, WDJ