The E.Samar guv maintain stand as anti-mining advocate
TACLOBAN CITY– Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone denied that he has issued a mining permit in Homonhon, Guiuan town.
Evardone, in a statement he issued on Tuesday (June 27), made the denial after posts circulated in the social media that he has approved a mining permit to an unnamed company to conduct mining operations in Homonhon, a mine-rich and historic island where Ferdinand Magellan landed in 1521.
“I have no authority to issue a mining permit. It is only the Department of Environment and Natural Resources which is authorized to issue permit to large-scale mining operations like in Homonhon,” the governor said in a statement.
In the same statement, Evardone stressed that while he is against mining, he still prefers ‘responsible mining’ by ‘strictly observe all mining, environmental and social protection laws.’
“If these companies cannot comply with all of these, DENR should stop their operations,” Evardone said.
He also noted that the mining companies that are operating in Homonhon are not paying their taxes to the provincial government, not transparent, and are not providing any form of social protection to the people and the environment.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
