DENR mulls filing a case against FNI subsidiary
Massive tree-cutting
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is going to file a case against the subsidiary of Global Ferronickel Holdings, Inc., the second largest nickel producer in the country and the largest single lateritic mine exporter in the world, for the massive tree cutting it conducted in Palawan.
DENR Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio said the agency is now on the process of gathering evidence against Ipilan Nickel Corp. (INC) for the indiscriminate tree cutting it did in the town of Brooke's Point in Palawan province.
"We are filing both administrative and criminal charges against them. We are doing an inventory on each log that they have removed and measuring it. Once we are done with it, that will be our evidence," Ignacio said in an interview with reporters on Tuesday.
According to Ignacio, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu didn't give any particular deadline as to when the inventory should be finished but he follows up on the case almost on daily basis.
It was Cimatu who ordered a full investigation into INC's violations for cutting down thousands of trees within its mining area even after the DENR had stopped its operations.
"(INC) did tree cutting activity in two areas. In one area, they secured a permit but they don't have ECC (environmental compliance certificate). In the other area, they don't really have any permit," Ignacio further explained.
During an aerial inspection he did in May, Cimatu himself saw the extent of the destruction caused by INC's tree cutting activity.
Disgusted by what he saw during the inspection, Cimatu issued a general warning to irresponsible mining companies about "going around the law."
Global Ferronickel president Dante Bravo said in a text message to Business Bulletin that the company has yet to receive any word from the DENR after issuing the agency with an explanation about the activity.
"We have replied to the issues the DENR has earlier raised together wth the legal authorizations and tree-cutting permit that we have. But we have not received any further notice from the department," Bravo said.
INC currently holds an exclusive right to conduct mining operations in the Municipality of Brooke’s Point, covering 2,835 hectares, of which 260 hectares have been partially declared as mining area.