- NBI XI arrests 3 in Marilog raid; brgy officials implicated
OPERATIVES of the National Bureau of Investigation XI raided an alleged illegal quarry operation in Marilog District, arresting three workers and unearthing links to local government officials whose actions are blamed for worsening urban flooding across Davao City.
The enforcement operation, conducted around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, targeted an unauthorized extraction site in Sitio Salab, Barangay Malamba. Agents apprehended three truck and backhoe drivers caught in the act of extracting minerals.
The raid was carried out jointly with operatives from the Marilog Police Station and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB XI) following months of clandestine surveillance triggered by community complaints.
In a press briefing at the NBI XI Office in Bajada on Thursday, Aug. 13, NBI XI assistant regional director Gerald Intes explicitly linked unchecked, illegal riverbed extractions in the hinterlands to severe downstream flooding in urban areas.
Intes explained that destructive quarrying alters natural river flow and clogs waterways, creating artificial choke points upstream.
“That’s because of the illegal operation; the water in the stream has not stopped. So if the rain stops, it will flood the basement because it will accumulate at the top, and the dam will not be able to handle the release of water. That’s why we will be flooded. We can also see that this is one of the causes of flooding in Davao—illegal quarrying,” Intes revealed.
In response, federal agents filed formal criminal charges against the three arrested drivers for violation of Section 103 (Theft of Minerals) under Republic Act 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.
The NBI’s investigation is expanding to target local leaders allegedly protecting or facilitating the illegal operations.
Intes confirmed that ongoing field inquiries have identified at least three local barangay officials whose names surfaced during the months-long probe.
“They will face the same case—conspiracy—and for government officials, [RA] 3019 Anti-Graft,” Intes emphasized. “Names of barangay officials have been released. When completed, the case will be filed when our regional director has a marching order.”
Intes noted that field agents have been deployed to gather additional witness statements and solidify the case before formal filing.
