MICC to keep some Lopez’s orders vs mining companies

The interagency Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) would maintain some of the orders imposed by former Environment Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez, the Department of Finance (DOF) said yesterday.

Finance Undersecretary Bayani H. Agabin said the Technical Working Group (TWG) tasked to conduct the MICCfunded audit has already submitted and presented its findings, and the Cabinet-level council will meet this month to discuss the report.

Without providing the complete details of the report, Agabin said the MICC is not inclined to entirely lift the orders by Lopez against the 26 mining companies.

“It’s a range of recommendations, some would say ‘yes we agree, it’s really warranted,’ but some the violations are not such [and] do not call for cancellation, some we agree with modifications,” Agabin told reporters when asked if Lopez’s orders will be lifted.

“There’ll be findings specific to the mines. There will also be policy recommendations which hope to improve rules and regulations regarding mining revenue sharing and protection of the environment,” he added.

According to Agabin, the MICC, which is co-chaired by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu will meet this month to come out with a final decision on Lopez’s closure and suspension orders versus several mining firms.

Last year, Lopez went on a closure and suspension spree of mining companies.

In order to help resolve the issues surrounding these orders, inter-agency MICC stepped in a few months after the orders were imposed and decided to conduct a review on such orders.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources and MICC, however, ended up conducting their own separate reviews on the 26 mining companies which were ordered either closed or suspended.