GLOBAL FERRONICKEL, Inc. subsidiary Ipilan Nickel Corp. (INC) will be filing criminal, civil and administrative charges against Brooke’s Point Mayor Mary Jean D. Feliciano for allegedly conducting an illegal demolition activity on its mining site. In a statement released Thursday, INC claimed that Ms. Feliciano, whom the company claims to be a “known anti-mining advocate,” had “forcibly destroyed guard houses, gate posts and fences, among others, to gain access to the mine site premises then completely demolished the campsite office building.” “The mayor, with utter disregard of the rule of law and of the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) between INC and the Philippine Government, has not shown any demolition order from the court nor the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” resident Mine Manager Ferdinand Libatique said. Under the MPSA, INC is allowed to operate within the prescribed Contract Area and make use of a government-owned building in exchange for looking after the host community. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

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