Mine firm belies raps

MANILA, Philippines - A mining company yesterday belied allegations that it did not have a permit to transport and an environmental clearance in its operations.

Lawyer Samuel Rufino Tugano, spokesman of Investwell Resources Inc. (IRI), said their “upcoming shipment” of mineral ore is covered by the existing and current mineral ore export permit and ore transport permit issued by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“Also, it is a matter of public record that the corresponding environmental compliance certificate (ECC) was issued by the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau to the MPSA (assigned to IRI) after a long and tedious process,” Tugano said.

“IRI had to undergo the rigorous validation of its feasibility study and other documents of compliance required by various units of the DENR, including a strict, critical and even hostile inter-agency committee before it was finally granted with an order to proceed in the ‘extraction and commercial disposition of iron and associated minerals in the contract area.’ These are records that can be examined at MGB,” he said.

Tugano also reiterated that IRI has never been charged nor investigated by the government of any criminal or administrative offense.