No private armies in Zambales – Gov. Deloso

IBA, ZAMBALES – “I never had a private army in my life and I never will.”

This was the statement made by Zambales Governor Amor Deloso after news reports surfaced that the provincial chief has at least 40 armed men with high-powered rifles.

“There is no truth in the demolition job that my opponents are telling the media. What I do have is nine regular policemen who are part of my contingents,” Deloso added.

“You only develop private armies if you do illegal works,” he said.

According to reports from national dailies, particularly tabloids, Deloso’s name is synonymous to the Ampatuan’s of Maguindanao.

The reports stated that Deloso has been creating his own dynasty in Zambales and will be using his influence on family members to protect their alleged “illegal” mining businesses.

“Let them trace my so-called private army so they would know the truth. I have nothing to hide and I am the most approachable official in Zambales,” Deloso said.

Deloso said that this latest hit by his enemies is just part of a smear campaign.

He also reiterated that it wasn’t their family that started the political dynasty in Zambales, pointing out that the Magsaysays during their heydays held several positions in the country including the highest position, the presidency.

“Why now? Why our family?” he asked.

The governor also pointed out that Jury Deloso is certainly not his running mate but Saturnino Bactad, adding that his nephew Jury is actually the running mate of former Public Works and Highways secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr.

“I have not led this province through fear but more of love and compassion, heck, I’m the only governor whom you can joke and ask favors for!” Deloso jokingly said.

The governor has been casual with the allegations being hurled at him, stating that this is just the first round of the election bout here in Zambales.

Deloso said the recent barrage of allegations being thrown at the governor is part of a machination to smear him. By JONAS REYES - Manila Bulletin

Deloso to mining firms: ‘Show social conscience’

IBA, Zambales —Gov. Amor Deloso has warned mining companies operating in this province to show respect for the local community and contribute to the development of Zambales, as they continue to profit from the extraction of minerals here.

“They should show some social conscience because they’re just permittees who make a living off our land,” Deloso said. “They don’t own the mountains here. They should give us some respect.”

Deloso issued the warning as Zambales authorities apprehended on Saturday a contractor who was found to have exceeded the volume of ores that it can haul from the stockpile of Pilipinas Mining Corp., which operates a small-scale mining concession in the province.

The overhauling, in effect, deprived the provincial government of the proper amount of excise taxes that it earns from the operation of small-scale miners, the governor said.

“Instead of cheating Zambales from the token income the province is allowed to get from the mining industry, you should try to give something in return for the riches you bring out of our province,” Deloso told the contractor.

At the same time, the governor advised a new investor here, Sanofil Allied Conglomerates, a Japanese firm investing P15 million for the operation of an ore-loading port in Iba town, to work for community acceptance “so that the people would feel the benefits of your operations.”

Deloso said that while Zambales has rich mineral deposits, the province has not taken off from mining operations in the last 75 years, mainly because the taxes go directly to the national government.

He said that as it is, most of the Zambales mountains are now covered by about 30 mineral production sharing agreements (MPSA) that do not yield any income for the local government.

The MPSAs are approved by the national office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“Zambales has lost about P3 billion in uncollected taxes due to the MPSAs,” he said.

Deloso added that the situation is all the more unfair to Zambales because the local communities are the ones that suffer from pollution and other inconveniences from mining operations.

He said the lack of adequate income, on one hand and the attendant risks on the other have bedeviled Zambales since major players began digging here decades ago for chromite ores, as well as gold and nickel.

“Acoje Mines was in Sta. Cruz town for 75 years, Benguet Mining Corp. was in Masinloc for 50 years and in San Marcelino for 25 years, yet nothing happened to these mining communities. There was no progress,” Deloso rued. Written by Henry Empeño / Business MIrror Correspondent

Governor Deloso asks CA to stop Zambales ore export

“Says DENR administrative order is unconstitutional, unlawful”

Zambales Gov. Amor Deloso has asked the Court of Appeals (CA) to stop the Department of Environment (DENR) from implementing its Administrative Order No. 2008-20 (issuance of mineral ore export permit) for transport-shipment outside of the country of mineral ores, including tailings, saying it is “unconstitutional and unlawful.”

In a petition for prohibition with application for temporary restraining order (TRO), Deloso asked the appellate court to stop the DENR from implementing AO 2008-20, claiming that the agency is “merely duplicating the job of the Bureau of Internal revenue (BIR) under existing mining law.”

DENR Administrative Order No. 2008-20 is void because it is an administrative issuance which is not sanctioned by the Mining Act, the governor said through his legal counsel Noel Ferrer.

In its order, DENR Secretary Lito Atienza clarified that AO – 2008 – 20 was meant to eradicate undervalued misdeclaration and red tape in the exportation of mineral ores and the improvement in the collection of taxes by the government.

The order likewise states that AO2008-20 spells out mandatory requirements before obtaining a mineral ore export permit (MOEP) under Section 3 which covers ore transport permit, marketing contact-sales agreement with purchase, agreement with purchase, accreditation of traders, retailers, processors, and other supporting papers as the secretary may require.

However, Deloso said that “the issuance of the order may result in” direct injury to the Province of Zambales and loss of income in the mining sector due to the additional and unreasonable burden of applying for an MOEP at the office of the secretary in manila.”

“The 60-day period before the intended date of shipping which is required by the order would result in the loss of thousands of jobs in the province and millions of pesos in extraction fees, excise taxes, and other local fees, and taxes,” Deloso said.

Zambales, which has a population of 493,085, is rich in mineral resources. Thousamds of his constituents are dependent on the mining industry, the governor said.

By. Ed Mahilum – Manila Bulletin

Workers, residents drive away soldiers from Zambales mine

Some 150 mine workers and residents on Monday gathered inside the Coto Mines in Masinloc, Zambales, in a bid to force 80 Army soldiers out of the area after a business dispute broke there on Friday.

Arsenia Lim, owner of the Compania Minera, said she mobilized the protesters to resume normal operations at the mines this week.

“We decided to all go up today (Monday). We also sought the help of the governor (Zambales Gov. Amor Deloso) just so this standstill would [end],” Lim said by telephone.

“They are also angry because the soldiers hurt two miners,” she said.

The protesters gathered on Gate 2 and pitched a tent there.

Lim said she bought the chromite tailings from the Benguet Mines, which used to have an operating contract with the Consolidated Mining Inc. (CMI) for 50 years until July 8 this year. She also bought 100 percent shares of Compania Minera, CMI’s partner, after Benguet Mines’ stint at Coto Mines.

CMI has contested Lim’s rights to claim the chromite tailings and extract minerals on Coto Mines, which CMI has been running since 1934.

CMI president Ben Teodoro Eusebio, however, denied asking the military to help his company regain control of the area.

Maj. Gen. Ralph Villanueva, chief of the 7th Infantry Division based in Nueva Ecija, said he has not pulled out his troops from Coto Mines. They belong to the 24th Infantry Battalion.

“We’re there for counter-insurgency operations, not for the business dispute,” Villanueva said, referring to the 20 New People’s Army rebels seen in the area last week.

He said the soldiers have been staying at the Coto Mines’ staff house.

“This is a legitimate mission,” he said.

On April 28 this year, Villanueva stopped the illegal use by retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. of soldiers belonging to the 24th IB when the retired general and his security firm took over the port in Masinloc, 23 km west of Coto Mines.

Deloso went to the mine site on Monday and reported seeing two tanks there.

“It’s really like they’re going to war but there are no rebels here. These soldiers entered without coordinating with me or my office. They didn’t even have the courtesy to inform me [of their action],” he said.

He said he saw soldiers manning a checkpoint on Km 12. The others were in the “Cage Pool,” a private swimming pool amid a small forest.

“If they were really on an anti-insurgency campaign, why did it seem like they were having a picnic here?” he said.

He said he saw about 50 security guards in the area.

The governor said he would meet with Villanueva to allow the companies to settle their disputes without using the military or police.

“These business disputes can be best handled by local officials because after all, we are after business taxes due our constituents,” he said. By Tonette Orejas - Inquirer Central Luzon Desk

ZAMBALES MINER EXTENDS P1.5M ASSISTANCE FOR MASINLOC FARMERS

Masinloc, Zambales- Compania Minera Tubajon, Inc., a mining firm operating in Coto, Zambales extends P1.5 Million humanitarian assistance yesterday to the Federated Masinloc Farmers Multi- Purpose Cooperative thru its formed foundation Arturo Castro Jalata Foundation. Inc.

Compania Minera’s Chairman of the Board Arsenia Lim vows to share the blessings she had to her fellow Zambaleños from the mining operations of her company as her response to Zambales Governor Amor Deloso’s vision of alleviating the people of Zambales from poverty and ensuring that they are the one benefiting from the vast of minerals of this province.

“ Zambales mines belongs to the people of Zambales, I look forward to a province na ang lahat ay nakikinabang sa anumang negosyo ng probinsiya… mayaman ang ating probinsiya.. iba lang ang nakinabang dati… kaya hindi ko hahayaan na muling maduhagi ang mamayan ng Zambales. Anumang yaman ng probinsiya ay nararapat na makinabang ang lahat lalo na ang maliliit na mamayaman.” (I look forward to a province that everybody will benefit from its businesses… our province is rich with minerals…. But only few and the rich benefited from it before… I will never allow it in my term… the wealth of my province is for the poor people of Zambales) , Deloso said in his message.

The governor also praise the mining firms particularly Compania Minera Tubajon Inc. for their humanitarian contributions to the people of Zambales.

The Federated Masinloc Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative Inc. President Raymundo S. Epey thanked Compania Minera and the Governor for thier assistance which according to him would be a great help for them as farmers especially today’s high cost of fertilizer and other farm products.

“Tamang-tama po ang donasyon na ito para sa mga abono na kailangan namin upang gumanda ang aming ani,( The donation was so timely for us to buy the needed fertilizer for good harvest) Epey added.

Federated Masinloc Multi -Purpose Cooperative was compose of farmers organization from different barangays in Masiloc town namely Brgy. Bulawen, Tatal, Bani,Bulaganon, Culiat, Tapuac, Sta. Rita, Poblacion North, Poblacion South, Inhobol, Bamban, Sto. Rosario, San Lorenzo and San Salvador.

According to Mrs. Lim, she formed the foundation to help the poor people in Zambales because that was her promise to her father Arturo Castro Jalata where she named her foundation. She promise that ten percent of her net income will go to the poor. She also repeatedly thanked the Governor in her speech during the turn over ceremony for according to her, it is the Governor who has given her the opportunity to help the people and fulfill her promise to his father.

The Arturo Castro Foundation Inc. also extends educational assistance thru scholarship; Livelihood Program thru micro finance; Social services like funeral, hospitalization and medical mission, and Environmental programs like reforestation and biological diversity enhancement.

ZAMBALES MINER EXTENDS P1.5M ASSISTANCE FOR MASINLOC FARMERS. Compania Minera Tubajon, Inc., a mining firm operating in Coto, Zambales represented by its Chairman Arsenia Lim (2nd from left) gave a check worth P1.5 Million as humanitarian assistance yesterday to the Federated Masinloc Farmers Multi- Purpose Cooperative thru its formed foundation Arturo Castro Jalata Foundation. Inc. The check was received by the farmers cooperative President Raymundo S. Epey (center) witnessed by Arturo Jalata Foundation’s Legal Counsel Atty. Condrado Fallorin (2nd from right) and officers of the Federated Masinloc Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative.