LEPANTO Consolidated Mining Corporation has paid P2 million to a local court to be able to resume operations.
By order of Judge Sergio Angnganay Jr. of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 64 in Abatan at Buguias, LCMC was ordered to pay the multi-million bond.
"The court deems it proper to require the defendant mining company to file a bond before it may resume its mining activities in the subject areas in the amount of P2 million to answer for the damages the petitioners suffered and may continue to suffer if additional evidence show that said damages are the result of mining activities of defendant mining company within the subterranean levels of the petitioners community," the court order says.
LCMC information officer Joan Gatchalian said the judge ruled not to extend the TEPO after the mining company was ordered to post a P2 million bond before continuing its operations.
Last week, petitioners Alicia Magastino, Josephoen Guminiguin, Richard Abdul, Felicidad Dula, Franklin Macario, Erlinda Sab-It, Belmondo Nammag, Jane Mendoza and Alfonso Mendoza were able to secure a Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO) which lasted 72 hours.
Upon its expiration the courts decided to slap LCMC with the bond saying "[f]rom the evidence preliminarily adduced, it appears there is no indication that petitioners will suffer irreparable and extensive damage if the mining activities of the defendant mining company below petitioner's communities will not be stopped immediately."
"The only damage testified to by petitioner's witness, Franklin Macario, are cracks on petitioner houses or structures and a sinkhole on petitioner land which may be fully compensated by defendant mining company. There being no extensive irreparable damage to be suffered by the petitioner in the immediate future, the continuation of the TEPO up to 20 days has no basis," the courts opined.
Petitioners alleged the sinking in their communities are caused by the operations of the mining company.