Press Release
October 11, 2022

Robin: Panahon na Para Repasuhin ang Batas sa Responsableng Pagmimina

Panahon na para repasuhin ang batas sa pagmimina para matiyak ang pagprotekta sa kalikasan at sinisiguro na sapat ang pondong malilikom ng pamahalaan sa sektor na ito, ayon kay Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla.

Iginiit ni Padilla na masyado nang maliit ang multa na ipinapataw ngayon sa mga naglalabag sa kasalukuyang batas - tulad ng Republic Act 7942, na ipinasa noon pang 1995.

Sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang batas, ang hindi sumunod sa Environmental Compliance Certificate at nakasira sa kapaligiran dahil sa polusyon ay papatawan ng hanggang anim na taong pagkulong o multang aabot ng P200,000 lamang.

"Ang pinakamataas dito na pwede natin singilin sa talipandas na ito, P200,000 lang. Pambihira, napakapambihira po!" ani Padilla sa pagdinig ng Senate Finance Subcommittee B, na tumalakay sa 2023 budget ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), nitong Martes.

Sumang-ayon si DENR Sec. Ma. Antonia Loyzaga sa punto ni Padilla na panahon na para ma-review ang Mining Law. "Yes we feel it's time to review the mining law. 1995 pa yan," aniya. Dagdag ng kalihim, kailangan ang "stability of business environment" kung saan hindi pabago-bago ang polisiya ng pamahalaan.

Dagdag ni Loyzaga, hindi pa gaanong kalaki sa ngayon ang kakayahan ng pamahalaan para magtatag ng patakaran para sa mamumuhunan kung saan tinitiyak ang social protection para sa manggagawa.

Nais din ni Padilla na paunlarin ang sektor ng pagmimina at tularan ang halimbawa ang pagmimina sa Sweden, kung saan nakalikom ang kanilang pamahalaan ng 26 bilyong krona o P135.422 bilyon.

Kung magawa ito sa Pilipinas, aniya, maaaring mabayaran ang napakalaking bahagi ng P13-trilyong utang natin dahil sa pananaliksik na may metallic mineral reserves ang Pilipinas na umaabot sa $1.4 trilyon, at $7 trilyon kung kasama ang nonmetallic reserves.

Ayon din sa mambabatas, nais niyang maibalik ang panahong malaki ang puhunan ng dayuhang kumpanya sa Pilipinas, kung saan may sapat na karapatan ang manggagawa tulad ng housing, at nakapagaral ang mga anak nila. Sa kasalukuyan, aniya, "talong talo" ang gobyerno sa kinikita habang mahirap na ngayon ang manggagawa sa sektor na ito.

Dahil dito, tinanong ni Padilla kung kailangan na bang amyendahan ang probisyon sa 1987 Constitution, lalo ang limitasyon na 40% lang ang puhunan ng dayuhang mamumuhunan. "Sa palagay ninyo, meron tayong kailangan baguhin sa Konstitusyon? May epekto ang 60-40 sa Konstitusyon sa exploitation, development and utilization ng ating mineral resources?" aniya.

Inamin ni Wilfredo Moncano ng Mines and Geosciences Bureau ng DENR na bagama't pwedeng magkaroon ng higit 40% puhunan ang dayuhang mamumuhunan sa ilalim ng Financial Technical Assistance Agreement setup, sobrang laki ng capital requirement kung kaya't umaayaw dito ang Pilipinong may foreign partner.

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Robin: Time to Revisit Laws on Responsible Mining

It is time to revisit our mining laws to make sure our environment remains protected while government establishes the appropriate policies to maximize its revenues from the sector, Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla said Tuesday.

Padilla said the present law - such as Republic Act 7942, which was passed way back in 1995 - provides very low penalties against polluters and violators.

Under the current law, violators of the Environmental Compliance Certificate face up to six years' imprisonment and/or a fine of up to P200,000 only.

"Ang pinakamataas dito na pwede natin singilin sa talipandas na ito, P200,000 lang. Pambihira, napakapambihira po (The biggest fine we can impose on these corrupt violators is just P200,000. Quite extraordinary)!" Padilla said at the hearing of the Senate Finance Subcommittee B, which tackled the 2023 budget of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

DENR Sec. Ma. Antonia Loyzaga agreed with Padilla, saying: "Yes we feel it's time to review the mining law." She added what is needed now is a "stability of business environment."

Loyzaga also noted the government does not have the capacity to attract investments that would ensure social protection for workers.

Padilla also pushed for improvements in the mining sector such that it can follow the example of Sweden where the government earned 26 million krona (P135.422 billion) from mining.

If this can be replicated in the Philippines, Padilla said the government could pay off a huge chunk of its P13-trillion debt, as the Philippines has metallic mineral reserves amounting to $1.4 trillion - and reserves of up to $7 trillion including nonmetallic reserves.

Also, Padilla said he wants to return to the time when foreign companies could invest much in the Philippines such that the rights of laborers are addressed including housing and education for their children. Currently, he lamented the government is at the losing end in terms of revenue, while the workers in the sector are faring poorly.

Because of this, Padilla asked if there is a need to amend some provisions in the 1987 Constitution, particularly the 40% limitation on foreign investments. "Sa palagay ninyo, meron tayong kailangan baguhin sa Konstitusyon? May epekto ang 60-40 sa Konstitusyon sa exploitation, development and utilization ng ating mineral resources (Do you think we need to amend the Charter? Does the 60-40 provision affect the exploitation, development and utilization of our mineral resources)?" he asked.

Wilfredo Moncano of the DENR's Mines and Geosciences Bureau noted that while foreigners can have more than 40% share in investments under the Financial Technical Assistance Agreement setup, the capital requirement is so large that Filipinos with foreign partners do not avail of this.

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