Mindoro Nickel Project Issued With Cease And Desist Order Mahal Inc.

Mindoro nickel project issued with cease and desist order Mahal Inc.

by Ned de Guzman, MAHAL, Inc.

1st February 2006

The Provincial Governor of Oriental Mindoro, Atty Arnan C. Panaligan disclosed on 30 January, 2006 during the rally attended by some 12,000 people in the town of Pola, this province that the Provincial Government has issued a "cease and desist" order to the proponents of the Mindoro Nickel Project.

The Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro (PGOM) thru its Provincial Legal Officer Atty Lorrybelle M. Tanyaghas demanded, ordered and directed the Aglubang Mining Corporation, subsidiary of CREW Gold Corporation, to immediately cease and desist from engaging and performing any activity related to mining within the vicinity of the Municipality of Victoria and other parts of the province of Oriental Mindoro, otherwise the PGOM shall be constrained to file the necessary legal action against the said Corporation.

The Cease and Desist order is contained in Atty Tanyag's letter to Aglubang Mining Corporation thru Atty Ben delos Reyes dated January 24, 2006. According to the Provincial Legal Officer, "recently, validated reports were lodged in this office that Aglubang Mining Corporation is presently engaging in various explorarory and mining activities somewhere in the Municipality of Victoria which is a clear and direct violation of our Provincial Ordinance No. 01-2002 entitled 'Ordinansang Nagtatakda ng 25 Taong Moratorium sa Lahat ng Pagmimina sa Lalawigan ng Silangang Mindoro at Pagbibigay ng mga Ekspresyon at Pagpapataw ng Kaparusahan Hinggil Dito.'"

The Provincial Legal Officer added, "We fought so long and we have maintained our position. NO TO MINING! We have studied and experienced the devastating effect when our natural resources were exploited. We have already "tested the waters" and we have tasted the "fist and fury" of Nature. Again, we are reiterating our policy, NO TO MINING!"

A caravan-rally was conducted to celebrate the 4th Anniversary of the passage of the Provincial Ordinance calling for a 25 year moratorium on large scale mining in the province of Oriental Mindoro. Lead by the PGOM, the Church and the Alyansa Laban sa Mina, the rally showed the unity of all the sectors in the whole province against the Mindoro Nickel Project. The said project has no social acceptability, only social opposition.