MINING INDUSTRY, REPRESENTED BY FORMER SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE REYNATO PUNO AND FORMER SC JUSTICE VICENTE MENDOZA,

SEEKS TO INTERVENE IN PETITIONS AGAINST THE MINING ACT

June 19, 2013 In a motion filed today (June 19) with the Supreme Court, the Chamber of Mine of the !hilippine (C"M!) ## repre ented by former Chief Ju ti$e %eynato !uno and former Supreme Court & o$iate Ju ti$e 'i$ente Mendo(a ## i a )in* the hi*h tribunal+ permi ion to inter,ene in two petition a*ain $hallen*in* the $on titutionality of the Minin* &$t of 199-. In their ubmi ion, !uno and Mendo(a aid the Supreme Court ha already de$ided on the $on titutionality of the Minin* &$t in the landmar) /a 0u*al#0laan , .

%amo $a e in 2001, a de$i ion penned by former Chief Ju ti$e &rtemio !an*aniban. C"M! 2oined it member re pondent in a )in* that the petition filed by former %ep. %i a 3onti,ero and other in Mar$h 2004 a*ain t Se$tion 40 and 41 of %epubli$ &$t 5912, or the Minin* &$t, be di mi ed. It further ar*ued that in$e the /a 0u*al rulin* ## the lon*e t in Supreme Court hi tory whi$h too) i6 year for the hi*h tribunal to deliberate on ## there ha been no material $han*e in the $ir$um tan$e of the !hilippine minin* indu try. 78here i no $ompellin* rea on for the hi*h tribunal to abandon it pre,iou rulin*. 8o ha,e the Supreme Court re,i it it rulin* o oon after it de$i ion be$ame final in 200-, will definitely ha)e in,e tor $onfiden$e and de tabili(e a $riti$ally needed indu try.9 C"M! added. &bout !hp 153 billion (:S;1 billion) in minin* in,e tment ha,e been poured into the $ountry in$e 2001 followin* the hi*h $ourt+ rulin*, ma)in* the indu try a i*nifi$ant $ontributor to national de,elopment. 8ho e in,e tment in$lude billion of pe o in,e ted in the $ountry ide<a $ru$ial dri,er of in$lu i,e *rowth that benefit all < by C"M! member for rural de,elopment pro2e$t , a all lar*e# $ale minin* operation are lo$ated in remote or hard#to#rea$h area of the $ountry, the minin* $hamber added. C"M! member $ompanie ha,e e tabli hed ,iable minin* operation under %& 5912 and ha,e e6i tin* a*reement with the !hilippine =o,ernment and e6pe$t the e to be honored, the minin* $hamber aid. 7"ur member + in,e tment under the e a*reement at the ame time prote$t the en,ironment and uphold human ri*ht .9 C"M! tre ed that a table re*ulatory re*ime i a ne$e ary foundation upon whi$h to en$oura*e bu ine rulin* by the hi*h tribunal on the petition not only undermine minin* in,e tment but al o broadly a$ro in,e tment and the *rowth of indu trie . 7&n ad,er e all indu trie , e,erely impa$tin* the in,e tment $limate upport 2ob $reation, in$lu i,e *rowth and po,erty alle,iation,

and harmin* the $ountry+ $redibility. 8hi will on$e a*ain be een a $han*in* the rule in the middle of the *ame9 C"M! aid. 8he 3onti,ero #led petition , C"M! aid, are i ue for the >6e$uti,e and /e*i lati,e bran$he of *o,ernment to de$ide, and not lod*ed with the Supreme Court

or the 2udi$iary whi$h i already o,erly burdened with more important $a e for it $on ideration. 7It al o $hallen*e not only the tability of the de$i ion of the Supreme Court, but al o the hi*h tribunal+ in titutional inte*rity,9 it added.