While antimining stakeholders welcome President Duterte’s push for a new mining law, Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez’s plan to require mining companies to secure legislative franchise before being allowed to operate is not getting any support.
The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) maintains there is no need for a new mining law, although it respects Duterte’s decision, in response to his earlier public pronouncement. COMP says Republic Act (RA) 7942 is enough to promote responsible mining and boost the mining industry in the Philippines.
Days before delivering his second State of the Nation Address (Sona), Duterte again warned erring mining companies for causing environmental destruction and made a public pronouncement supporting the enactment of a new mining law.
He vowed to call a meeting to consult mining stakeholders.
At a news conference in the House of Representatives on Monday, Alvarez bared his plans to sponsor several bills, which include same-sex marriage, giving legitimate and illegitimate children equal rights under the law, and dissolution of marriage.
He also said that among his leadership’s priorities is to enact a law that will require casinos and mining companies to secure a legislative franchise before being allowed to operate in the Philippines.
Sought for comment in supporting Duterte’s push for a new mining law, Jaybee Garganera, national coordinator of Alyansa Tigil Mina, said ATM will engage the administration should they call for a summit of all mining stakeholders.
“We are prepared to submit our recommendations. And we are ready to confront [the] mining industry and expose that their concept of responsible mining is a myth,” Garganera said.
He added that they expect Congress to fast-track the enactment of proposed mining bills in Congress, particularly the Alternative Minerals Management bill (AMMB) and the new fiscal regime on mining.
There are several AMMB filed in the House of Representatives: House Bill ( HB) 54, filed by Kaka Bag-ao; HB 113, filed by Rep. Arlene Bag-ao of the Lone District of Dinagat Islands Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr. of the Lone District of Ifugao and Rep. Lawrence Fortun of the First District of Agusan del Norte; and HB 2633 of Party-list Rep. Tom Villarin of Akbayan.
To prevent lawmakers with mining interest from thwarting the push for a pro-people alternative mining law, Garganera said ATM will demand their inhibition from the deliberations.
“First, we will expose them. We are finishing our research on their mining links based on the Statement of Contribution and Expenditures [Soce] in the 2016 elections. We will oppose their participation in congressional hearings,” he said.
ATM also vowed to pursue localized “no-go zones” in provinces and legislative districts.
Meanwhile, with his public pronouncement, Garganera said they expect the President to issue clear instruction to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to strictly enforce the closure and suspension orders issued against 28 mining companies by former Environment Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez. The group also expressed doubts that Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu will sustain the policy reforms initiated by Lopez.
Cimatu, upon taking over the DENR in May, ordered a review of Lopez’s controversial orders.
He has already reversed last month Lopez’s order centralizing the processing of environmental compliance certificate (ECC) applications and gave back the power to the DENR’s regional offices.
The DENR, under Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Maria Paz Luna, is finalizing the review of the closure orders by the end of the month.
Sherwin de Vera, regional coordinator of Defend Ilocos, said their group supports the passage of another alternative mining bill—HB 2715, or the People’s Alternative Mining bill. The measure aims to reorient the mining industry toward national industrialization and ensuring the highest industry development standards.
The bill, filed by members of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives, also gives premium to agriculture and conservation and protection of watersheds over minerals development.
Meanwhile, he rejected Alvarez’s plan to require mining companies to apply for a legislative franchise.
“That is the play…to squeeze mining companies’ lobby money. This is what greedy lawmakers do to telcos and what they want to do to other companies, too,” de Vera said.
“The President certainly has the power to propose legislation necessary to implement his administration’s agenda. However, we believe the Mining Act is already responsive to the vision and needs of the Duterte administration,” COMP Vice President for Policy and Legal Ronald Recidoro told the BusinessMirror in a text message.
He said the RA 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, is, in fact, encouraging and attractive for investors while having world-class provisions for environmental protection and social development.
“It just needs to be implemented consistently and strictly,” Recidoro added.
As for Alvarez’s plan, Recidoro said requiring mining companies to secure legislative franchise is “unnecessary given [that] the current regulatory framework is already sufficient”.
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