Raps vs mine firm found ‘baseless, unfounded’

Small-scale miners blamed for destroying environment

IBA, ZAMBALES – A government investigation team found no violation of environmental and natural resources laws by the mining firm Benguet Corp. (BC) in Sta. Cruz town as alleged by local officials and residents.

The team called “unfounded” complaints that BC broke the law in its operations. Dr. Ruben Yadao, secretariat head of the provincial mining regulatory board, led the team that investigated the complaints.

“There was no sufficient evidence to warrant reports of flaws committed by BC on its mining activities in the area, considering the fact that the firm has not started its actual mining operations,” he said.

He said the team found another mining firm that was tagged by residents to have been operating in the area.

He withheld the company’s name pending the team’s final report.

Sta. Cruz Mayor Luisito Marty earlier asked Environment Secretary Joselito Atienza and Director General Avelino Razon, Philippine National Police chief, to look into reports that the BC was destroying the environment in its exploration activities.

But BC lawyer Reynaldo Mendoza denied the accusations, saying it has yet to start production as it is still awaiting some permits.

Mendoza said the BC holds a mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) over some l,400 hectares of land in Barangay Guisguis for nickel exploration.

He said the firm conducted initial exploration, such as drilling and test pits, but it has complied with mining laws and environmental regulations.

The company is proceeding cautiously to avoid violating rules, he said, adding that other groups with adverse mining interests in the province are “closely watching our moves.” He did not elaborate.

A team from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau regional office investigated the alleged environmental damage complaint filed by a Rogelio Merced, village chief of Lomboy, a neighboring barangay of Guisguis. By Cesar Villa - Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Small-scale miners blamed for destroying environment

By Anthony Bayarong, Manila Times Correspondent

STA.CRUZ, Zambales: Benguet Corp. (BC)yesterday distanced itself from the issue regarding the destruction of forest and environment and instead pinned the blame on another mining company operating in this mineral rich town.

In a statement, BC identified the mining company as A3 UNA, being primarily responsible for causing inconvenience to some residents due to dust, diesel fumes, mud and posing road hazard.

In the same statement, BC also clarified that they have not started hauling minerals in the 1,400 hectares of land they occupy in Barangay Guisguis.

In a telephone interview, BC Senior Vice President for Legal Issues Atty. Reynaldo Mendoza said that it was not BC who is destroying the environment. In fact, he added that they are now repairing the destruction brought about the illegal mining of A3 UNA, which allegedly mined inside the 1,400-hectare piece of land occupied by their company.

“Inaayos nga namin ngayon yung mga lugar na sinira ng A3-UNA kasi pag nag umpisa na ang tag-ulan natatakot ang mga residente na baka bumagsak ang lupa sa kanila at mag putik sa kanilang mga lugar, natatakot din ang mga residente na baka putik na ang dumaloy sa mga ilog dahil sa illegal mining ng A3 UNA, “ Mendoza told The Times.

“I don’t know why Sta. Cruz Mayor Luisito Marty is so angry with us and not with the small mining company that has no ECC, like A3 UNA,” he added.

He also explained that the company’s project in Zambales has fully complied with mining laws and environmental regulations.

He however confirmed that their company has not paid direct taxes to the province of Zambales since they are paying taxes directly to the national government.

“We recognized the claim of some local officials that we do not pay local taxes but they must understand that they have a share of the taxes we pay directly to the national government; the problem is that the process of releasing their share is slow,” Mendoza said.

He further explained that they are now lobbying in congress a bill that if passed would pave the way to large-scale mining companies’ direct payment of taxes to local governments, including the provincial government, local municipalities and barangays that are affected in mining operations.

The statement added that earlier this week, a team from Mines & Geosciences Bureau (MGB) went to Sta. Cruz to investigate the complaint of environmental damage filed by a certain Barangay Captain Merced of Lomboy, a neigh­boring barangay to Guisguis.

It was found by the MGB team after interviewing residents and local officials in the two barangays that the complaint was baseless. Ongoing works by BC inside the MPSA are confined to road construction which is covered by a road right-of-way permit issued by DENR, and slope stabilization and the construction of silt ponds as part of pollution control measures under the ECC to prevent erosion and siltation in the lower areas. But as confirmed by the MGB investigators, no actual mining or hauling of ore has yet been done by BC.

The MGB team was also informed that a large excavation in Area 1 of the mineral production sharing agreement, which used to be forested, was the result of illegal mining by A3 UNA.

Middle of last year, BC had to bring in a composite PNP and MGB group to forcefully remove A3 UNA from its claim. But A3 UNA was able to continue its illegal mining in other areas adjacent to the mineral production sharing agreement of BC because it was enjoying the support and protection of some local officials in Sta. Cruz. The hauling trucks of A3 UNA that are transporting illegally mined ore from various sources to its port in Barangay Bolitoc, were the ones overrunning the barangay roads and the subject of numerous complaints of residents affected by dust, pollution and other road hazards.

The company, according to Mendoza, is now undertaking construction of roads and siltation ponds (to serve as catchments basin for silts that would otherwise pollute rice lands located downstream), which involves no tree cutting. It has also erected slope stabilization benches at the excavation site were A3 UNA allegedly illegally mined to prevent erosion.