Vice Governor-elect Atty. Antonio “Jojo” Perez Jr. has vowed to uphold Oriental Mindoro’s mining moratorium despite a Supreme Court decision last month that invalidated a similar ban in neighboring Occidental Mindoro.

Perez, who co-authored Provincial Ordinance No. 131-2022 extending the mining ban, said local governments have authority to protect their environment through legal measures.

“Our ordinances remain in effect, and we will continue to uphold them to safeguard our natural resources,” Perez said in a statement.

The high court ruled that Occidental Mindoro’s moratorium violated the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, which grants the national government primary jurisdiction over mineral resources.

The decision has raised questions about the legal standing of similar bans across the country.

Oriental Mindoro’s mining moratorium was first enacted in 2002 under Provincial Ordinance No. 01-2002, prohibiting all forms of large-scale mining in the province.

In June 2022, the provincial government extended the moratorium for 25 years through 2052.

However, Perez, a lawyer who co-authored the 2022 ordinance extending the ban, argued that Oriental Mindoro’s measures differ from those struck down by the Supreme Court.

“We are not against development, but it must not come at the cost of our environment and the livelihood of our people,” he said.

The Save Oriental Mindoro Coalition, an environmental group, praised the province’s position.

“The moratorium is a testament to the province’s commitment to sustainable development,” the group said. “We stand with the local government in defending our natural heritage.”

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has not commented on Oriental Mindoro’s position.

Mining companies with pending applications in the province are monitoring the situation, as the area’s mineral-rich deposits have attracted interest for potential nickel and copper extraction.

In a separate Filipino-language statement, Perez said he supports refiling House Bills 3891 and 6219, introduced by Rep. Arnan Panaligan and Rep. Alfonso Umali in 2022, which would ban all mining activities on Mindoro Island, including black sand mining and mineral extraction.

“From then until now, my position remains that mining should not be allowed in the province,” Perez said in Filipino. “I believe it is timely for a national law to fully implement this advocacy.”

Perez said he will support the refiling of the Panaligan-Umali bills in Congress and work with the provincial government to prevent mining in Oriental Mindoro.

Perez, who will assume office later this month, said he will work with local government officials to strengthen environmental protections.

The Philippines, one of the world’s most mineral-rich countries, has seen increasing tension between mining companies and LGUs over resource extraction.