PHNO-HL: ALBAY GOVERNOR: NEW MINING LAW URGENTLY NEEDED

ALBAY GOVERNOR: NEW MINING LAW URGENTLY
NEEDED

LEGAZPI
CITY, JULY 16, 2012 (MANILA
TIMES) Written by RAFFY AYENG - Executive Order
(EO) 79 issued by Malacañang which reflects President Benigno Aquino 3rd's
initiatives to "explore the outer boundary of executive discretion" to favor
local governments and environmental protection will ease down the opposition to
mining, but a new Mining law remains an imperative.
Albay Gov. Joey Salceda (photo), in reaction to the new EO, noted that
the President had "mightily exerted efforts to take into account the concerns of
local chief executives in drafting the EO but short of amending mining laws." EO
79 expands the state policy on mining.
An economist and United Nations spokesman on climate change adaptation and
disaster risk reduction, Salceda earlier expressed apprehension over the planned
new mining EO, due to perceived environmental ruin and the little economic gains
it offers local government units. The final EO version, however, had swayed his
stand.
At least 40 provinces, or half of the country's 80 provinces, have passed
anti-large scale mining ordinances based on the records of the Mines and
Geophysics Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Salceda said that the final shape and complexion of the mining EO has taken a
very constructive approach towards LGU role (with hardly a trace of the
adversarial tone which occasioned the origins of the EO) and a weighty bias
towards environmental protection and inter-generational responsibility in
resource management.
"We must concede the mighty exertion of President Aquino through Presidential
Advisers for Environmental Protection Secretary Neric Acosta and Elisea Gozun
and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, to take into account the concerns of local
chief executives in drafting the EO but short of amending mining laws," he
added.
Salceda said the EO shows that the President has explored the outer boundary
of executive discretion "but the structural limits imposed by legislation,
especially RA7492, otherwise known as the Mining Law of the Philippines, preempt
the kind of reforms that justify our fundamental opposition to mining in the
current socio-political context."
Until lately, Salceda had maintained his opposition to mining, particularly
large-scale metallurgical mining which he had opposed since 1998 in his
province, like the metallic mines of Rapu-rapu Island in Albay. His stance had
recently gained support from anti-mining campaigners in the country.
Albay province has received only more or less P3.4 million in taxes from
Rapu-rapu mining and about P 11 million from the geothermal plants, very small
amounts that go into its coffers compared to the bulk profits the investors
stash away, and to think that it takes a million years to grow gold, he pointed
out.


Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved




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