Lopez worries about ‘mining links’ of MICC review members

MANILA — The Mining Industry Coordinating Council is under a new disagreement after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources expressed that it wants to immediately start the formal multistakeholder review on the existing contracts of all mining companies even if the proposed P50-million budget has yet to be released.

The P50-million budget for the jumpstart of the review has yet to be released by the Department of Budget and Management, which was also requested by the Department of Finance (DOF), which co-chairs the MICC along with the DENR.

“I want to start the process now even without the money. I'm a little worried that the representative of DOF who’s charing the process in the absence of the Secretary (Carlos Dominguez) is involved with a mining company,” DENR Secretary Gina Lopez said in a briefing Wednesday.

The environment chief is referring to Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin.

Environment Undersecretary Maria Paz Luna added that the DOF does not want to start the review process unless the budget has been approved.

“That's the assumption because that's where they will get the expenses. But for us, we want to start immediately. Considering that they will be the ones to get the funds, they will also be the ones to get the experts,” Luna said.

“We're trying to say is that we will just be the one to request for that for the MICC since the IRR (implementing rules and regulations) for which the MICC money is needed, is a DAO of DENR, not DOF. It might also be hard for them with COA (Commission on Audit) if they will hire consultants under them,” Luna explained.