Ship stopped from loading ore

Two barges are docked at the causeway of the suspended nickel miner Claver Mineral Development Corp. in Claver town, Surigao del Norte. —DANILO ADORADOR III

SURIGAO CITY—A Chinese vessel has been caught being loaded with nickel ore from a mine being operated by a firm suspended for environmental violations in what appears to be open defiance of the government crackdown on irresponsible mining.

MV Golden Gemini, a 50,000 MT Hong Kong registered vessel, was already half filled with ore from the mine site of Claver Mineral Development Corp. (CMDC) when agents of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) boarded it for inspection on Sunday, according to PCG and NBI officials.

CMDC, suspended in 2012, is currently controlled by the group of Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay but is also being claimed by two other groups of stockholders.

Under Pichay, who assumed control of CMDC late last year through a court order, the company managed to sell a shipload of ore in June, to the consternation of environmental activists who accused the lawmaker of using his position to muscle government agencies into releasing ore transport and export permits.

“When we asked the ship officers and company representatives if they have permits for the loading activities, they had shown nothing,” said Lt. Commander Alberto Ferre, PCG local area head. He said inspectors were told the permits are being processed by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).

Mario Minor, NBI Caraga director, confirmed that NBI agents from Manila were part of the inspection team.

He said the team also checked the Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Port of Surigao if Golden Gemini had a clearance to dock.

Minor could not provide more details, saying agents have yet to submit a full report.

But records from the BOC showed CMDC has not yet submitted transport and export permits.

Alberto Reniedo, BOC Surigao deputy collector for operations, said Golden Gemini would not be allowed to leave without clearance.

Reniedo, quoting BOC records, said Golden Gemini arrived on Sept. 14 and proceeded immediately to the CMDC mine site.

Engineer Daniel Bilderol, MGB Caraga officer in charge, had said CMDC got a “verbal order” allowing it to transport and export two shiploads of nickel ore from Environment Undersecretary Leo Jasareno last month.

Bilderol, however, said the MGB central office had not issued any transport or export permit to CMDC.

Ferre, of PCG, said agents were at a loss why CMDC ore was loaded into the ship without permits. He said PCG would keep an eye on Golden Gemini.

PCG is part of the anti-environmental crime task force convened by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) headed by Undersecretary Art Valdez, who led law enforcement agencies last month in a symbolic reiteration of the CMDC’s suspended status by placing a large “suspended” sign at the premises of the company.

Capt. Joseph Coyme, PCG deputy commander for Northern Mindanao, said PCG has been mandated by the task force to board any ship near mining areas in the region.

Local environment activists and Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, a political rival of Pichay, had accused Pichay of using his influence as a member of the House appropriations committee to pressure the MGB and DENR to favor his company.

Bilderol said Jasareno had instructed officials of MGB Caraga to release two permits to CMDC in the presence of Pichay at the sidelines of the hearing for the proposed 2017 budget of DENR in the House on Sept. 5.

Caraga Watch, an environment watchdog group, said it would charge Pichay and DENR officials with corruption at the Ombudsman.

Barbers vowed to initiate House hearings on the issue “til kingdom come.”

Cleanup

In Manila, CMDC assured it has been on “a massive program to thoroughly clean up the surroundings” of its mine.

CMDC president Cesar Detera, in a statement, said as part of its cleanup program, the firm had already shipped out over 200,000 metric tons of ore and other mining wastes that had accumulated around the site.

“We are not yet operating the mine. These waste ores are from past activity and are not the result of new mining operations under our management. But the responsibility to clean this falls to us, especially since we are hopeful that the [MGB] would lift the suspension to operate the mine after we are fully compliant with all regulations,” said Detera.

“We have fully apprised the MGB of our plan to apply for resumption in the nickel mine operations. One of the preconditions we have set is to ensure that the area is thoroughly cleaned up to reverse any damage caused in the past, especially when the site was untended for almost four years,” he said. —WITH A REPORT FROM JAYMEE T. GAMIL IN MANILA