MEMORANDUM

FOR : The Undersecretary

Administration, Finance, Human Resources, Information
Systems, Legal, Legislative Affairs and Anti-Corruption

: The OIC, Assistant Secretary

Legal and Legislative Affairs

The OIC, Director

Legal Affairs Service

FROM : Investigation and Arbitration Division

SUBJECT : STATUS CASE UPDATE

CA-G.R. NO. 00032 (G.R. NO. 224375) CONCERNED

CITIZENS OF STA. CRUZ ZAMABALES (CCOS) REP. BY
THEIR CHAIRMAN, DR. BENITO E. MOLINO, ET AL.,
PETITIONERS VERSUS HON. RAMON J.P. PAJE IN HIS
CAPACITY AS SECRETARY OF THE DENR ET AL.,
RESPONDENTS.

The above-entitled case for Writ of Kalikasan and Continuing Mandamus with
prayer for the issuance of Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO) and/or
Environmental Protection Order (EPO) originated from the petition filed by the
petitioners before the Supreme Court of the Philippines against the respondent mining
companies,1 the local government units of the Province of Zambales and Municipality
of Sta. Ana, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Region III,
Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB)-Region III and Environmental Management
Bureau (EMB)-Region III and then Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje, pursuant to Rule 7 of A.M.
No. 09-6-8-SC.2

On 22 May 2017, the Former Special Fourteenth Division, Court of Appeals

promulgated a Resolution denying the petition, thus:

WHEREFORE, premises considered, the petition for writ of

kalikasan, petitioners’ application for TEPO and Urgent Motion for Ocular
Inspection are hereby DISMISSED. Accordingly, the prohibitory

1 Benguet Corp. Nickel Mines, Inc.; LnL Archipelago Minerals, Inc. Shafil Mining & Trading Corporation;
and Zambales Diversified Metals Corporation
2 Rules of Procedure on Environment Cases
 injunctive provisional writ of kalikasan issued by the Supreme Court in
accordance with Section 5, Rule 7 of the Rules of Procedure on
Environmental Cases if LIFTED.

SO ORDERED.

Relative thereto, on 08 June 2017, petitioners filed their Motion for

Reconsideration (MR). Private respondents LNL Archipelago Minerals, Inc. (LAMI) and
Zambales Diversified Metal Corporation (ZMDC) and public respondents respectively
filed motions for extension of time to file comment/opposition to petitioners’ MR.
Thereafter, private respondents Shangfil Mining and Trading Corporation, Benguet
Nickel Mines, Inc. (BNMI), LAMI, ZMDC and public respondents respectively filed
their comment/opposition to petitioners’ MR.

On 17 January 2018, this Office received copy of the Court’s Resolution

promulgated on 14 December 2017, denying petitioners’ Motion for Reconsideration for
lack of merit.

Copy of the Resolution dated 14 December 2017 is hereto attached, for your
reference.

For information and record.

ATTY. GERALDINE DELA CERNA-RAMOS, CESE

Division Chief