Dominguez seeks better governance in extractive industries

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III on Thursday called on the government to support a "strong governance framework" for the Philippine extractive industry to ensure the sustainability of the environment while creating additional revenues.

"The solution is not to arbitrarily ban extractive industries, whatever contractual obligations government has with investors," Dominguez told miners in his keynote speech at the national conference of the Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PH-EITI) in Manila City.

"The solution is to improve governance so that we get the best of both worlds; ensuring the sustainability of our environment on one hand and creating wealth for our people from our natural endowments on the other," he added.

Miners denounced the move of former Environment Secretary Gina Lopez to shut down 23 mines and cancel 75 mineral sharing production agreements.

While Lopez said the orders were warranted after a month-long industry audit led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), miners claimed the rationale to such orders were not given to them.

"Never again should suspensions be meted out on the basis of unseen audits. Never again should honest industries be subjected to levies without legal basis," Dominguez said in his speech Thursday.

"The Duterte administration, I assure you, will be firm but fair. It is committed to bring forth strong, but not arbitrary, governance. It will abide by global best practices in ensuring sustainable development," he added.

The government, through the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC), is in the process of doing a comprehensive review of the mining industry, particularly on  focus on the closure and suspension orders of Lopez.

Lopez was replaced by former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Roy Cimatu, after she was rejected by the Commission on Appointments (CA).

As long as miners do not harm the environment, Cimatu said he will allow responsible mining. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/VDS, GMA News