Court asked to stop Zamboanga Norte mining ban

Court asked to stop Zamboanga Norte mining ban

A significant development following on our blog entry yesterday. The mining companies, who have asked the government to take 'decisive action' against negative aspects in their business environment, have taken decisive action themselves by forcing the issue of the legality of the ban on open pit mining in certain localities. Rather than wait for the central government to adopt a policy position on the mater, the mining companies have carried out a threat earlier made and raised the stakes by going to court: are local governments empowered to adopt legislation banning open pit mining?