THE INTER-AGENCY Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) will convene today to hear findings of the independent technical review teams on the supposed erring mining sites ordered closed last year.
Finance Undersecretary Bayani H. Agabin said in a mobile phone message yesterday that “the report of the review team will be presented and discussed,” to the MICC, after “all minesites, impact areas and host communities were visited.”
Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Director Wilfredo G. Moncano meanwhile said in a phone interview: “We expect that the findings will show that some mining companies who fail and some that has passed their parameters.”
“After this meeting, the MICC will decide what to do with these findings,” he added.
However, he said that President Rodrigo R. Duterte still has the discretion on the MICC’s recommendation.
He added that mining companies can still appeal to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Office of the President on whatever decision the government makes.
The three-month review period conducted by independent mining experts, who were funded by the MICC, began in March — a little over a year since then-Environment Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez ordered the shut down of 26 of the country’s mines over environmental violations. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

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