Narra Mayor Gerandy Danao has sought to clarify why he endorsed the application of Redmont Consolidated Mines Corporation for mineral exploration in the town, saying his action should not be taken as a go-signal for mining but as part of the legal process that places the decision in the hands of the provincial government.
The endorsement has stirred public debate in Narra and elsewhere in Palawan because of Provincial Ordinance 3646, the 50-year moratorium on new mining applications.
Environmental advocates argue that any municipal endorsement undermines the intent of the ban, which was passed to safeguard Palawan’s forests, watersheds, and coastal ecosystems.
Danao, in a video captured during their regular flag raising ceremony in Narra on August 18, said that Redmont’s application had been in process for nearly a decade.
It was first filed in Barangay Calategas in 2015, endorsed at the barangay level, but held back by the 16th Sangguniang Bayan due to incomplete documents. The application resurfaced under the 17th council, was again endorsed by the barangay, and finally approved by the municipal council in June this year.
As mayor, Danao had ten days to act on the resolution. He admitted he could have vetoed it but said his office lacked the technical and legal expertise to evaluate such cases.
“Ngayon, bilang isang ehekutibo, nakita ko yung mga dokumento. Sabi ko eh, ‘Vice, Vice [Jojo Gastanes] maayos na ba ito? Okay ba itong mga dokumento na ito?’ Ang sagot ng council, dahil tayo walang abugado, ipadala natin sa province at sila ang mag-aral ng lahat ng dokumento kung tama o mali,” he explained.
Danao said he did not sign the endorsement to protect political interests or to favor any company. He emphasized that the decision should be viewed in the context of local government procedures, where the municipal level can only endorse but not approve applications.
The authority to grant or deny rests with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. He argued that pushing the matter upward was the most transparent and responsible way to handle it, given the lack of legal resources in Narra.
Beyond defending his actions, Danao also raised issues of transparency in how the moratorium has been applied. He pointed out that a legal opinion from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) stated the moratorium had yet to gain congressional approval, which meant it was not yet fully binding. He claimed this information was not disclosed to the public, creating further confusion.
“May lumabas ng papel, may legal opinion na ang DILG, na wala pang naaaprubahan ng moratorium dahil hindi pa po nakakarating sa Kongreso. Dapat sana hindi nila itinago yan. Ipinaalam nila sa tao na may papel galing sa DILG na aralin yang moratorium bago aprobahan,” Danao said.
The mayor further criticized provincial leaders for, in his view, keeping the public in the dark about such legal opinions while shifting political blame onto local governments like Narra.
He said that the Redmont issue was being unfairly pinned on the municipality when the responsibility for approving or rejecting the application ultimately rests with the province.
The controversy highlights the ongoing tension between Palawan’s long-standing anti-mining policy and the legal processes that companies continue to pursue to secure exploration rights.
Ordinance 3646 was intended as a sweeping prohibition on new mining ventures, but questions remain about its enforceability without corresponding national legislation.
For residents of Narra, the debate over Redmont’s application has revived old divisions over the promise of jobs and revenues from mining versus the risks of environmental degradation.
While Danao positioned his role as merely procedural, his critics argue that local endorsements still provide momentum to projects that could undermine the moratorium.
With the endorsement now forwarded to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the fate of Redmont’s exploration bid will depend on how the provincial board weighs the application against the ordinance and the broader political climate surrounding mining in Palawan.
