Apex Mining Corp. said Thursday it resigned from the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines.
“I do not agree that we should blame the illegal small-scale miners when the mining industry is put to task for perceived destruction of the environment,” Apex Mining president and chief executive Walter Brown said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.
CoMP is the industry organization of large mining companies and businesses involved in the industry in the country. The group said it was preparing a proper response to Apex Mining’s statement.
The chamber, however, said earlier it would not tolerate wrongdoings within the mining industry.
CoMP said mining companies had a clear responsibility to manage their impact on the environment, guarantee the full and complete rehabilitation of mined-out areas and ensure that communities get their fair share in the benefits from mining.
“Strict regulation and monitoring by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Environmental Management Bureau, especially of the small-scale mining sector, will be key to ensuring that the environment is adequately protected, and that more trees are planted in mining areas,” said Ronald Recidoro, vice president of CoMP.
“The Chamber of Mines does not condone wrong-doing within the industry. Erring mines must be prosecuted and made accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Recidoro said.
Brown, the president of Apex Mining, said the chamber should regulate its own ranks and discipline its members that were not complying with existing mining rules and regulations.
Apex is one of the 13 mines which passed the mining audit earlier conducted by the Environment Department under former secretary Regina Lopez. Apex is a gold producer that operates the underground mines in Maco, Compostela Valley Province.
Duterte in his second State of the Nation Address threatened to impose higher taxes on mining companies or shut them down if they failed to come up with ways to compensate the country for the damage on the environment.
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu earlier said the Environment Department would soon release the results of the assessment of mining companies. He said the agency was reviewing the appeals made by mining companies which Lopez ordered to be shut down.
“I’m afraid we cannot yet release it [results]. In due time we will announce it. The documents submitted by the mining companies are very voluminous. I thought it was just several pieces of paper,” Cimatu said earlier.
“I don’t want to rush because this is really an exhaustive review. This is reconsideration, not an initial case so I have to get all evidences submitted by the companies. There are responsible mining companies but there are also those who are irresponsible. If they cannot improve their operations, then get out of the business,” Cimatu said.
“I am the DENR secretary and I am pro-environment. I am neither anti or pro [mining]. I should respect that mandate of the secretary,” said Cimatu.