THE Regional Trial Court in Iba, Zambales, has stopped a foreign ship from leaving the country with a load of mineral ore allegedly taken by A3 UNA Mining Corp. from an area owned by another company, Zambales Chromite Mining Co.

                Judge Clodualdo Monta, in an order issued in late January, also ordered A3 UNA to “cease and desist from its mining operations within the area of the mining claim” of Zambales Chromite.

                Two other companies—Benguet Corp.  and Eramen Minerals—had also complained to the authorities about A3 UNA’s mining operations in their respective areas.

                Benguet, in a letter to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) last month, said it first complained to DENR in April 2007 about A3 UNA’s encroachment.

                A3 UNA was ordered by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to stop encroaching in Benguet’s claim. The company reportedly withdrew, but in June its personnel allegedly returned in the company of armed men.

                “[Benguet’s] security guards, who were outnumbered and outgunned, could not prevent its entry. As a result, A3 UNA was able to haul several truckloads estimated at 88 trips at approximately 20 tons of nickel ore per trip,” it said.

                Eramen, in its complaint, said a joint investigation by the MGB and other officials from other government agencies and from Benguet and Filipinas Mining Corp. had “established that [A3 UNA] had encroached in our [mining] area.”

                In the case of Zambales Chromite, it is not known if the M/V Globetrotter had already left with the contested shipment or not the port at Bolitoc, Santa Cruz, Zambales.

                In a letter to  Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, Zambales Chromite asked for the issuance of a “cease-and-desist order against A3 UNA, Baby Bueno-Coady and any of their representatives” in their alleged illegal mining activities.

                It said Bueno-Coady was given a special mining permit to mine inside Zambales Chromite’s area. The company did not name the government or provincial official who gave the permit, but said in its letter that the permit was “not sanctioned by the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board.” --J. Mayuga

Panel starts probe on chopper mess

DEFENSE Secretary Gilbert Teodoro has ordered members of the Department of National Defense’s new bids and awards (BAC) committee to formally start the investigation into the alleged irregularities in the acquisition of six new night attack helicopters at a cost of P1.2 billion by the Armed Forces.

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna—The Philippines will continue to be a major recipient of agri-biotech funds under the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II, a program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to boost agricultural production of developing countries.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—The joint Committee on Cease-fire and Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is taking actions to prevent further clashes between their forces  in Zamboanga del Norte.

THE Regional Trial Court in Iba, Zambales, has stopped a foreign ship from leaving the country with a load of mineral ore allegedly taken by A3 UNA Mining Corp. from an area owned by another company, Zambales Chromite Mining Co.

SPEAKER Prospero Nograles is rushing the formation of the House of Representatives ad hoc special committee that will collect, process and classify various reform proposals from members of the lower chamber.