BAGUIO CITY--A multi-disciplinary team of geologists, geological engineers and experts will be formed to probe the ground susbsidence areas in Mankayan, benguet to once and for all settle the abrasive dispute between the residents and the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMC) as to who caused what.

This was arrived at during the public consultation-hearing held here Saturday by the House committee on natural resources led by Representatives Zenaida Cruz Ducut, Ronald Cosalan of Benguet, Gregorio Ipong of North Cotabato and partylist respresentative Leonrado Montemayor of ABA, the Mankyan local government executives, and residents.

Local residents allege that the 14-hectare area that sank damaging the Colalo elementary school and killed one person late July last last year was due to the LCMC quarrying operations in the area and the company's tailings dam.

The dam, residents said, had blocked the flow of water from a nearby creek and this had accumulated underneath the soil, causing the land to soften and collapse after days of heavy rains.

LCMC, howver, refuted this saying the heavy rains brought about the incident. It also contested a geological study made by the UP National Institute for Geological Sciences (NIGS) for allegedly using "inappropriate and unscientific methodologies" in arriving at a conclusion.

UP NIGS found out that the earth-moving activities of LCMC -- construction of an access road at the foot of the landslide area -- in addition to natural causes as heavy rains and geological instability of the area precipitated the landslide.

UP NIGS also recommended that the mined-out tunnels of LCMC be opened up for investigation in 1985.

A study conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the DENR months after the incident negated the possibility that LCMC operations might have caused the ground sinking.

Such findings, however, were disputed by the affected residents prompting Benguet Congressman Cosalan to file House Resolution 1057 for Congress to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation on the issue.

Colalo residents have been seeking an audience with Cosalan since December last year to address the issue. Ground susbsidence has been felt in other areas in Mankayan since 1972. The most recent was in Colalo last year, in Barangay Sapid eight years ago and in Mankayan poblacion. This has caused residents to doubt if Mankayan is still a safe place to live in.