The mines and Geosciences Bureau has slated a hearing next week to hear the side of two firms whose iron ore were seized due to alleged illegal operations in Camarines Norte.

In a statement, the Environment department said that the proceeding follows its seizure of 50,000 metric tons of magnetite sand in the area last June 15 near the private wharf of Uni-Dragon Mining and Development Corp and Philippine Bao Tong Mining Corp in the municipality of Paracale in the province.

The iron ore were reportedly about to be shipped to China.

According to the bureau, operatives of the Environment department had spotted a cargo ship anchored at a distance of about a kilometer offshore from the mining area waiting for iron ore to be loaded into it.

Four personnel from the MGB-Region 5, assisted by eight police officers from the mobile group of the Philippine National Police-Region 5 based in Legazpi City confiscated the stockpiled minerals.

Mr Leo L Jasareno MGB Director said in the statement “Under the proceeding, the owners of the seized iron ores, Uni-Dragon and Philippine Bao Tong, will be accorded with due process by giving them opportunity to present evidence and prove why the iron ore should not be confiscated in favour of the government.”
Mr Jasareno said the two partner firms had been issued a cease and-desist order by the MGB last year for extracting and shipping iron ore from the area despite the lack of proper permits.

He added that the two firms did not have mineral ore export permits from the MGB.

In June, the firms had attempted to load and ship out 50,000 metric tons of iron ore on a vessel headed to China despite the minerals having been earlier declared as confiscated by the MGB. Likewise, in September last year, the bureau had also seized 35,000 metric tons of iron ore similarly stockpiled by the two firms.

The MGB official said “The mining companies are not allowed to commercially extract and dispose the minerals because the two mineral production sharing agreements issued to them are still under exploration.”

He said that the MPSAs were issued to Uni-Dragon on November 4, 2008 and covers about 282 hectares in Paracale. The mining companies, he furthered have yet to file an application for declaration of mining project feasibility and work program.

Source - Bworldonline

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