Environment Secretary Gina Lopez on Wednesday blasted Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea for reversing her order requiring mining firms to set up a multimillion trust fund for farmers before being allowed to transport their stockpiles.
Lopez accused Medialdea of issuing 鈥渁 directive to all the mining companies counteracting my order鈥� and allowing them to transport their stockpiles even without putting up a bond worth P2 million per hectare of
farmland affected by the mining operations.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 that all about? That鈥檚 my prerogative as a Cabinet Secretary, so why is the Executive Secretary going against me? I don鈥檛 want to fight anyone but he鈥檚 disadvantaging farmers,鈥� Lopez told reporters.
鈥淗e鈥檚 going against the very spirit of the Duterte administration, which is to help the poor. So I鈥檓 really not happy about this at all,鈥� she said.
Lopez was referring to orders issued by Medialdea in March resolving appeals made by the mine firms against Lopez鈥檚 order in January setting the trust fund as a new condition for Mineral Ore Export Permits (MOEP).
Medialdea said 鈥渢he filing of the notice of appeal stays the execution of the assailed order.鈥�
鈥淪ince the condition of the establishment of a trust fund was not yet in existence then, the same must not be treated as a valid requirement passing upon appellants鈥� application for an MOEP,鈥� Medialdea said.
Medialdea instead directed firms to post a 鈥渟urety bond鈥� with the Office of the President amounting to P5 million 鈥渁s a guarantee that it will comply with the assailed additional condition of putting up such trust fund in the event that the same be eventually ruled as a valid condition.鈥�
Lopez said appeals aired by mining firms that she earlier ordered closed have been languishing in Medialdea鈥檚 office. 鈥淟et it go to the President and let him decide,鈥� she said.
Medialdea said his order was temporary until all the appeals were settled.
鈥淭he stay order does not contradict the President鈥檚 policy against destructive mining operations,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is provisional in character and may be set aside or modified at any time during the pendency of the appeal.鈥�
Meanwhile, Lopez also expressed 鈥渨orries鈥� over Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin, a lawyer who once represented mining firms.聽 Agabin is cochairing the Mining Industry Coordinating Council with Lopez in the absence of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, just when a review of the DENR鈥檚 mining audit was expected to be underway soon.鈥� with reports from Leila B. Salaverria