MindaNews » Tampakan mayor backs mining firm’s bid for ECC reconsideration.

By Bong S. Sarmiento
February 3, 2012

KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/2 Feb) – Beleaguered foreign-backed Sagittarius Mines, Inc. has gained the support of the mayor of Tampakan in South Cotabato for the reconsideration of its rejected application for an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).

Mayor Leonardo Escobillo Sr. appealed Wednesday to President Benigno C. Aquino III to reconsider last month’s decision of Environment Secretary Ramon Paje denying the mining firm’s ECC.

Escobillo said that “several sectors in Tampakan wanted a reconsideration of the DENR decision” so that Sagittarius Mines can proceed to production stage.

“This action among our constituents is not a surprise given the massive support that our communities acquired from the company development assistance of SMI and the corresponding economic contribution to the dynamism of the business community,” the mayor said.

At the same time, Escobillo urged anew the provincial government of South Cotabato to thresh out the open-pit mining ban contained in its environmental code, as it puts Tampakan officials “in a dilemma” on the consistency of the ordinance to Republic Act 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, which does not ban the open-pit method.

Paje had denied the ECC application of Sagittarius Mines in deference to the open-pit mining ban imposed by South Cotabato, asking the mining firm to first resolve the issue with the provincial government.

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