Miners barred from leaving Manila

Miners barred from leaving Manila

MANILA (AFP): Five senior executives of the Philippines' biggest copper mining firm, including a U.S. citizen and an Australian, were barred from leaving the country yesterday as the government prepared criminal charges against them in connection with a massive mine tailings leak.

Immigration commissioner Leandro Verceles said the hold order was issued on the request of the environment department which filed a complaint against Marcopper Mining president John Loney, an American, its resident manager, Steve Reid, an Australian, and three Filipino officials of the firm.

The Justice Department on Thursday said the five would be charged with "reckless imprudence" resulting in damage to property, and violations of the mining code, pollution laws and falsification of public documents, which could land them six-year jail terms if convicted.

The mine tailings pit of Marcopper, 39.9 percent owned by Canada's Placer Copper Holdings Inc., disgorged millions of tons of mine waste into the Boac river in the central Philippine island of Marindugue last month, killing aquatic life.