Below is an article published by Cordillera Peoples Alliance :

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the DENR has again proved its inutility with its go-signal to  the PhilexMines to resume operations in Padcal. We are very disappointed at this decision, even  with the findings and recommendations of the Environmental and Social Investigation Mission  (EIM) that Cordillera Peoples Alliance, KATRIBU Indigenous Peoples Partylist, AGHAM and Center  for Environmental Concerns –Philippines submitted to the MGB-DENR. Paying the Php1 billion fine  and submission of a rehabilitation plan should not be the sole basis in allowing the Padcal  operations to resume.  MGB-DENR is highly accountable for the Philex Tailings Pond 3 failure and other mining disasters  in the country, having issued permits for the large mines to operate, in turn resulting to  environmental disasters, extrajudicial killings and violation of indigenous peoples’ collective right  to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and ancestral land. Because it virtually allowed Philex  to commit the same mining disaster by giving the nod to the PhilexPadcal operations and the  operation of the Tailings Pond 3, MGB shall remain accountable and be warned that this is  another mining disaster waiting to happen.  We reiterate our recommendation from the EIM we conducted: decommissioning of the Tailings  Pond 3 which is a crucial step for the and rehabilitation of river and terrestrial ecosystems;  transparency—the damage to the environment remains undisclosed to the public, especially  the affected communities; comprehensive assessment of identified impact sites and just  compensation for affected communities of Benguet and Pangasinan and the workers of Philex.  The Philex resumption of Padcal operations, the issuance of an Environmental Compliance  Certificate to Xstrata for its operations in Mindanao among other developments in the mining  front shows the true face of the PNoy administration that promotes mining plunder at the  expense of people’s rights and genuine development.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the DENR has again proved its inutility with its go-signal to the PhilexMines to resume operations in Padcal. We are very disappointed at this decision, even with the findings and recommendations of the Environmental and Social Investigation Mission (EIM) that Cordillera Peoples Alliance, KATRIBU Indigenous Peoples Partylist, AGHAM and Center for Environmental Concerns –Philippines submitted to the MGB-DENR. Paying the Php1 billion fine and submission of a rehabilitation plan should not be the sole basis in allowing the Padcal operations to resume. 

MGB-DENR is highly accountable for the Philex Tailings Pond 3 failure and other mining disasters in the country, having issued permits for the large mines to operate, in turn resulting to environmental disasters, extrajudicial killings and violation of indigenous peoples’ collective right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and ancestral land. Because it virtually allowed Philex to commit the same mining disaster by giving the nod to the PhilexPadcal operations and the operation of the Tailings Pond 3, MGB shall remain accountable and be warned that this is another mining disaster waiting to happen. 

We reiterate our recommendation from the EIM we conducted: decommissioning of the Tailings Pond 3 which is a crucial step for the and rehabilitation of river and terrestrial ecosystems; transparency—the damage to the environment remains undisclosed to the public, especially the affected communities; comprehensive assessment of identified impact sites and just compensation for affected communities of Benguet and Pangasinan and the workers of Philex. 

The Philex resumption of Padcal operations, the issuance of an Environmental Compliance Certificate to Xstrata for its operations in Mindanao among other developments in the mining front shows the true face of the PNoy administration that promotes mining plunder at the expense of people’s rights and genuine development.

Mr. Santos Mero 

Cordillera Peoples Alliance, Deputy Secretary General