ANTIPOLO CITY, Rizal – Rizal Governor Junjun Ynares III has stopped quarrying and small-scale mining operations near the 19-hectare Rizal provincial landfill in Lukutan, Barangay San Isidro, Rodriguez.

The governor issued the order to stop quarrying and mining in the area in the wake of the collapse last July 30 of a portion of the landfill. The collapse was allegedly caused by the continuous downpour that softened the soil.

Ynares wanted concerned personnel to determine if the landslide was also caused by the use of explosives in the quarrying or small-scale mining activities.

The Rizal governor issued the directives following a comprehensive briefing conducted by representatives of the Environment Management Bureau (EMB), the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), which are both under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Ynares said that he is satisfied with the findings of ongoing investigation being conducted by a multipartite committee.

“They are tasked to come up with a comprehensive report on what may have caused the incident and to study measures to prevent a repeat of what happened on July 30,” he said.

The committee is also looking into other possible causes of the collapse, such as water saturation due to heavy rains and strong vibration caused by explosives used in quarrying and mining operations.

“Until the angle of sabotage and ground vibration caused by the use of explosives in nearby operations are looked into, I have directed all concerned to ensure that tighter security measures around the facility are put in place,” Ynares said.

Ynares also said that the possibility that political motive may be behind the incident is also being investigated.

He said that “the continuing use of the provincial landfill as a political issue by some people dictates that the political angle in the incident is thoroughly probed.”

Ynares is waiting for the recommendations that the multipartite committee will submit. The recommendations are expected to include measures to address the “vulnerability of the design of the landfill.”

It could be vulnerable to sabotage and the adverse effects of the use of explosives in the nearby quarrying and small-mining operations, he added.