Chamber of Mines sounds alarm over NPA attacks on mines

MANILA, Philippines—Investors said Tuesday that the recent attacks on three mining companies in Surigao del Norte, as well as the overall threat against mining companies in the Philippines, have become “cause for concern.”

The Chamber of Mines said in a statement that the insurgents “may not want to see the kind of development that large-scale responsible mining has to offer since they thrive on poverty as it swells their numbers.”

The rebels burned equipment and facilities of the Taganito Mining Corp., THPAL Mining and Platinum Metals Group Corp. in attacks on Monday.

“Perhaps their (insurgents’) motives were also affected by the relentless anti-mining campaign from certain groups and those who have been influenced by them,” according to the statement.

In a phone interview, Rocky Dimaculangan, vice president for communications of the Chamber of Mines, said, howerver, that mining companies would continue to invest in the Philippines if there was support from the government and from host communities.

The Nickel Asia Corp. has suspended mining operations at the site of its subsidiary, the Taganito Mining Corp., following the attacks on Monday.