Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has assured that the resolutions of appeals filed by “erring” mining companies slapped with closure or suspension orders by his predecessor, former Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez, last year will be announced within the month.
Some of these mining companies, Cimatu said, are likely to be sanctioned for failing to meet environmental standards.
Cimatu, fresh from a mine tour in Aroroy, Masbate, also announced a mining company’s plan to provide support for the rehabilitation of Boracay’s coral-reef areas during a hastily called news briefing at the DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau Training Center at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Rescue Center in Quezon City.
The news conference was preceded by a stakeholders’ forum attended by Boracay locators in connection with a plan to declare portions of Boracay Island a critical habitat, and hence, will be set aside for conservation.
“Definitely, some will be suspended,” Cimatu assured when asked if some mining companies will be slapped with sanctions.
The DENR and the Mining Industry Coordination Council (MICC), Cimatu said, are finalizing results of separate reviews and will soon start harmonizing these results, which will announced by the DENR later.
“We will just harmonize the results. We are also depending on the results of the review of the orders from the MICC. Of course, we want it harmonized because it will be awkward if we will have different findings and recommendations,” he added.
The DENR was supposed to release resolutions of its review last month, but the department’s focus shifted to issues surrounding the closure of Boracay and other tourism destinations.
To recall, Lopez, the Duterte administration’s first environment secretary, launched a crackdown against irresponsible mining operations and recommended the closure or suspension of 26 large-scale operating mines.
Lopez, during her 10-month stint until her rejection by the powerful Commission on Appointments last year, also recommended the cancellation of 75 mineral production sharing agreements and one Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement for inactive mines within or near watersheds to protect the country’s freshwater reserve.
Mining companies, for their part, protested what they described as biased, anti-mining directives and lodged their appeals to President Duterte and the MICC.
Two of these companies were able to continue operation upon obtaining stay orders—Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. and Far Southeast Gold Resources Inc. and Oceanagold
Philippines Inc.
Two other companies, Berong Nickel Corp. and Citinickel Mines and Development Corp., which both filed separate appeals before Malacañang, remain suspended by the strength of an order issued by the Supreme Court.
A total of eight companies with cancellation orders filed appeals with the Office of the President and were able to obtain stay orders, while five other companies with prior suspension orders remain suspended. These are Benguet Corp. Nickel Mines Inc., Claver Mineral Development Corp., Eramen Minerals Inc., LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc. and Zambales Diversified Metals Corp.
Only eight companies have pending appeals before the DENR. These are nonoperational companies with cancellation orders and pending motions for reconsiderations. These are Aam Phil Natural Resources Exploration and Development Corp., Libjo Mining Corp., Mt. Sinai Mining Exploration and Development Corp., Oriental Synergy Mining Corp., Wellex Mining Corp., Carrascal Nickel Corp., Ore Asia, and Development Corp. and Strong Built Mining Development Corp.