Small scale miners in Benguet set to elect new representative to PMRB

August 5, 2019 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet- Despite “no vacancy” in the seat representing small-scale miners of this province to the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB), an election for the said position in the government body was set for August 31, 2019.
Benguet Federation of Small-Scale Miners, Inc. (BFSSM) president Lumino Kaniteng remained the active representative of small scale miners to the Board as of press time.
The election of a new representative of small scale miners to the PMRB came during the July 27 general assembly meeting called and chaired by Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas held at the Benguet Sports Complex gym.
Benguet board member Bernard Wacling and Mangkayan mayor Frenzel Ayong were present in the meeting. It was approved in the meeting that all registered and non-registered small scale miners in the province will be allowed to vote.
Governor Diclas said, “for election purposes, we will allow those small scale miners have to vote even they are not yet registered, but I encourage you to register – as a provincial ordinance that you must have to follow.”
Diclas has required all small scale associations to submit the list of their members to his office. The filing of Certificate of Candidacy (COC) shall be one week prior to the Election Day (Aug 31) and to be coursed through the Office of the Governor.
The COC shall be followed with a corresponding endorsement from their respective associations duly certified by its mayor.
The move was triggered by an unsigned petition paper some disgruntled members belonging to a so-called Unified of Small Scale Miners Association of Benguet.
The group Unified of Small Scale Miners Association of Benguet “petitioned for the removal of Kaniteng as president of BFSSM” for several reasons.
The group complained, “since 2001-2019 (17 years of term) there was no accomplishment regarding papers on the application for the minahang bayan (MB); does not support the application and fast tracking of MB application; no record of financial transparency; and for kadelicadeza purposes, being the president of Federation SSM, he should not sign the stoppage order of SSM,” among others.
BFSSM board member Leoncio Na-oy for his part, defended the association and challenged those who petitioned against their president to visit their office in order to be clarified about their complaints.
“The finances of our federation is an open book,” Na-oy said. “Our federation president and members of the board of
directors do not receive any salary nor per diems. We sacrificed our time and effort mainly to help our small scale miners and their respective families,” he added.
“Our federation always assists our member associations in the processing of their MB applications and appealed to concerned agencies to fast track its approval,” Na –oy said, adding that their federation is pushing for a confidence vote for Kaniteng to remain as representative for the small scale miners in the province.
 
Primo Agatep/ABN