The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Wednesday said it has issued an order directing the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) to file complaints against the Altai Philippines Mining Corp. (APMC) for illegally cutting trees in Sibuyan Island, Romblon.

In a statement, the DENR said it also tasked the PENRO to conduct a probe on "the alleged damage to sea grass and other marine resources as a result of the construction of the causeway project."

READ: DENR statement on the recent incident involving Altai Philippines Mining Corp. in the island of Sibuyan, Province of Romblon. pic.twitter.com/sTpiiEUeDN

— ＤＥＮＲ (@DENROfficial) February 8, 2023

Aside from this, it said that it ordered the following:

• Cease and desist the construction and operation of the APMC's causeway in Sitio Bato, Brgy. Espana, San Fernando, Romblon
• Suspension of APMC's Ore Transport Permit
• Stop the transport of ore from the contract site to the causeway
• Application for miscellaneous lease agreement is denied for the violation of Commonwealth Act 1

The order was released a week after local authorities had a heated encounter with Sibuyan residents who tried to stop the mining company's truck that was carrying loads of extracted nickel ores.

The DENR-MIMAROPA first suspended APMC after it found that it operated without an approved Environmental Compliance Certificate.

"Section 4 of PD [Presidential Decree] 1586 states that "no person partnership or corporation shall undertake or operate any environmentally critical project or operate in an environmentally critical area without first securing an Environmental Compliance Certificate," it earlier said.

On Monday, Senator Risa Hontiveros filed a resolution urging a Senate Committee to conduct a legislative investigation into the reported mining activities of the company.