ATOK-BIG WEDGE MINING CO., INC. VS CA.docx

 TITLE: ATOK ATOK-BIG -BIG WEDGE MINING COMPANY, COMPANY, INC. vs CA G.R. No. 88883 Janua! "8, "##" $ACT%: $&'(a &'(a M(n& M(n&a) a) *)a(+ *)a(+ o aou aou n(n& n(n& /#0 1&*a 1&*a&s &s s(ua s(ua&' &' (n Tu'(n2, u'(n2, Io2on, B&n2u&, as )o*a&' so+&(+& &&&n D&*&+& 45, "#36 an' D&*&+& 3", "#36, a 7&(o' o s( /90 'a!s, ! A.I. R&!no)'s (n a**o'an*& (1 1& 7ov(s(ons o 1& A* o Con2&ss o Ju)! ", "#64, && non as 1& P1()(77(n& B()) o "#64, (n a so-*a))&' D&*)aa(on o  Lo*a(on.  T1& sa(' D&*)aa(on o Lo*a(on o +(n&a) *)a(+ as 'u)! &*o'&' (n 1& O;*& o 1& M(n(n2 R&*o'& so+&(+& on Janua! 4, "#3". $&'(a +(n& +(n&a) a) *)a(+, *)a(+, o2&1 o2&1& & (1 (1 o1& o1& +(n& +(n&a) a) *)a(+s *)a(+s,, as so)' so)' ! A.I. A.I. R&!no)'s o B(2 W&'2& M(n(n2 Co+7an!, 1& &a)(& *o7oa& na+& o  Ao B(2 W&'2& M(n(n2 Co+7an!, In*. /Ao o s1o< 1&&(n 7&((on&0 (n a D&&' o %a)& &&*u&' on Nov&+& 4, "#3". %(n*& 1&n 7&((on& Ao 1as &&n (n *on(nuous an' &*)us(v& on&s1(7 an' 7oss&ss(on o sa(' *)a(+ u7 o 1& 7&s&n . Ao Ao 1as 7a(' 7a(' 1& &a) &a)! ! a&s a&s an' o**u7a o**u7a(on (on &&s &&s o 1& $&'( $&'(a a +(n&a) *)a(+. T1& $&'(a +(n&a) *)a(+ o2&1& (1 o1& +(n&a) *)a(+s on&' ! Ao 1as &&n '&*)a&' un'& Ta D&*)aa(on No. #535 an' 1a (n v(& o P&s('&n(a) D&*&& No. "4"= an a77)(*a(on o )&as& as >)&' ! Ao *ov&(n2 1& $&'(a $&'(a +(n&a) *)a(+. On 1& o1& 1an', 7(va& &s7on'&n L(an Cons( 1as a )o &)o 1& )an' )an' o a *& *&a( a(n n M. M. A*a! *a! a Tu'(n u'(n2 2 %)(' %)('&, &, Io2 Io2on on,, B&n2 B&n2u& u&. . ?& *onsu*&' a 1ous& 1&&on so+&(+& (n "#9=. T1& )o (s *ov&&' !  Ta  Ta D&*)aa(on No. #=94. W1&n 1& >s *onsu*&' 1(s 1ous& &)o 1& )o o M. A*a! 1& as o)' 1a ( as no n&*&ssa! o 1(+ o oa oa(n (n a u( u()'(n2 '(n2 7& 7&+( as ( as on)! on)! a n(7a n(7a 1u 1u. An' no on& on& 7o1((&' 1(+ o+ &n&(n2 1& )an' so 1& as *onsu*(n2 a 1ous& 1&&on. I as on)! (n Janua! "#8= 1&n 7(va& &s7on'&n Cons( &7a(&' 1& sa(' 1ous& 1a 7&o7)& *a+& o a& 7(*u&s an' o)' 1(+ 1a 1& )o &)on2s o Ao. P(va& &s7on'&n Cons( 1as &&n 7a!(n2 a&s on sa(' )an' 1(*1 1(s a1& &o& 1(+ 1a' o**u7(&' . On Janua! "#8=, 1& s&*u(! 2ua's o Ao (no+&' $&)(*(ano $&)(*(ano R&!&s, %&*u(! O;*& o Ao, 1a a *onsu*(on as &(n2 un'&a&n a 1& a&a o 1& $&'(a +(n&a) *)a(+ ! 7(va& &s7on'&n L(an Cons(. $&)(*(ano R&!&s (nsu*&' 1& *as1(& o 2o an' a& 7(*u&s o 1& *onsu*(on. $&)(*(ano $&)(*(ano R&!&s 1(+s&) an' o1& s&*u(! 2ua's &n o

1& 7)a*& o 1& *onsu*(on o v&(! an' 1&n o 1& 7o)(*& o &7o 1& +a&. On Ma*1 ", "#8=, Ao >)&' a *o+7)a(n o o*()& &n! an' '&a(n& a2a(ns L(an Cons( , 1(*1 as '(s+(ss&' a& 'u& 1&a(n2 ! 1& MTC o Io2on (n avo o L(an Cons(. P&((on& ATOK a77&a)&' o 1& RTC o Ba2u(o, 1(*1 &v&s&' 1& '&*(s(on o 1& MTC, o'&(n2 '&&n'an L(an Cons( o va*a& 1& 7&+(s&s o 1& $&'(a M(n&a) *)a(+, &so(n2 7oss&ss(on 1&&o o 1& 7)a(n(@ Ao B(2 W&'2& M(n(n2 Co+7an!. D&&n'an L(an Cos( as u1& o'&&' o &+ov& an' '&+o)(s1 1& 1ous& 1& *onsu*&' (n 1& 7&+(s&s o 1& )an' o  $&'(a M(n&a) *)a(+. In a 7&((on o &v(& >)&' ! L(an Cons( (1 1& CA, 1& CA &n'&&' (s '&*(s(on '(s+(ss(n2 1& su&* o*()& &n! a*(on, an' u1& u)& (n 7a 1a: L(an Cons( 1a' a 7oss&sso! (21 ov& 1& 7o7&! 1(*1 +a! +au& (no on&s1(7 on 1& as(s o )on2-&+ 7oss&ss(on un'& 1& Pu)(* Lan' La. T1us, ( 1&)' 1a o1 Cons( an' ATOK a& o &ua) oo(n2 (1 &2a's o 1& su&* )o, 1o)'(n2 7oss&sso! ()&s o 1& )an'. T1& 7&((on& 1ou21 (s )on2 &+ o**u7an*! 1()& &s7on'&n +(n(n2 >+ &(n2 1& *)a(+ )o*ao an' a77)(*an o )&as& on 1& +(n&a) *)a(+. ATOK >)&' a +o(on o &*ons('&a(on, 1(*1 as '&n(&' ! 1& CA. ?&n*&, 1(s 7&((on. I%%E: W1&1& o no an (n'(v('ua)s )on2 &+ o**u7a(on o )an' o 1& 7u)(* 'o+a(n v&ss 1(+ (1 su*1 (21s ov& 1& sa+& as o '&&a 1& (21s o 1& on& o 1a *)a(+. ?ELD: I (s o no (+7oan*& 1&1& B&n2u& an' Ao 1a' s&*u&' a 7a&n o as 1&)' (n 1& Go)' C&& M(n(n2 Co7oa(on *as&, o a)) 71!s(*a) 7u7os&s o on&s1(7, 1& on& (s no &u(&' o s&*u& a 7a&n as )on2 as 1& *o+7)(&s (1 1& 7ov(s(ons o 1& +(n(n2 )as< 1(s 7oss&sso! (21, o a)) 7a*(*a) 7u7os&s o on&s1(7, (s as 2oo' as 1ou21 s&*u&' ! 7a&n /R&7u)(* v. Cou o A77&a)s, "96 %CRA 448 "#88F0. In 1& *as& a a, 1& &v('&n*& on &*o' 7o(n&' 1a 1& 7&((on& Ao 1as a(1u))! *o+7)(&' (1 a)) 1& &u(&+&ns o 1& )a &2a'(n2 1& +a(n&nan*& o 1& sa(' $&'(a M(n&a) C)a(+.

 T1& 7&&*(on o 1& +(n(n2 *)a(+ *onv&&' 1& 7o7&! o +(n&a) )an' an' un'& 1& )as 1&n (n o*& &+ov&' ( o+ 1& 7u)(* 'o+a(n. B! su*1 a*, 1& )o*aos a*u(&' &*)us(v& (21s ov& 1& )an', a2a(ns &v&n 1& 2ov&n+&n, (1ou n&&' o an! u1& a* su*1 as 1& 7u*1as& o 1& )an' o oa(n(n2 o a 7a&n ov& (. As 1& )an' 1a' &*o+& 1& 7(va& 7o7&! o 1& )o*aos, 1&! 1a' 1& (21 o ans& 1& sa+&, as 1&! '(', o B&n2u& an' Ao . As (n 1& (nsan 7&((on, 1& &*o' s1os 1a 1& )o (n u&s(on as a*u(&' 1ou21 a D&&' o %a)& &&*u&' &&&n Ao an' $&'(a M(n&a) C)a(+.

I (s, 1&&o&, &v('&n 1a B&n2u& an' Ao 1av& &*)us(v& (21s o 1& 7o7&! (n u&s(on ! v(u& o 1&( &s7&*(v& +(n(n2 *)a(+s 1(*1 1&! va)(')! a*u(&' &o& 1& Cons(u(on o "#35 7o1((&' 1& a)(&na(on o a)) )an's o 1& 7u)(* 'o+a(n &*&7 a2(*u)ua) )an's, su&* o v&s&' (21s &(s(n2 a 1& (+& o (s a'o7(on. T1& )an' as no an' *ou)' no 1av& &&n ans&&' o 1& 7(va& &s7on'&ns ! v(u& o a*u(s((v& 7&s*(7(on, no *ou)' (s us& & s1a&' s(+u)an&ous)! ! 1&+ an' 1& +(n(n2 *o+7an(&s o a2(*u)ua) an' +(n&a) 7u7os&s /I('0. On 1& +a& o 7oss&ss(on, 7(va& &s7on'&n *on&n's 1a 1(s 7&'&*&sso-(n-(n&&s 1as &&n (n 7oss&ss(on o sa(' )o &v&n &o& 1& a an' 1as (n a* *u)(va&' 1& sa+&. %(n*& 1& su&* )o (s +(n&a) )an', 7(va& &s7on'&ns 7oss&ss(on o 1& su&* )o no +a& 1o )on2 '(' no *on& u7on 1(+ 7oss&sso! (21s ov& 1& sa+&. $u1&+o&, A(*)& 538 o 1& N& C(v() Co'& 7ov('&s: A. 538. Poss&ss(on as a a* *anno & &*o2n(&' a 1& sa+& (+& (n o '(@&&n 7&sona)((&s &*&7 (n 1& *as&s o *o-7oss&ss(on. %1ou)' a u&s(on a(s& &2a'(n2 1& a* o 7oss&ss(on, 1& 7&s&n 7oss&sso s1a)) & 7&&&'< ( 1&& a& o 7oss&ssos, 1& on& )on2& (n 7oss&ss(on< ( 1& 'a&s o 1& 7oss&ss(on a& 1& sa+&, 1& on& 1o 7&s&ns a ()&< an' ( a)) 1&s& *on'((ons a& &ua), 1& 1(n2 s1a)) & 7)a*&' (n u'(*(a) '&7os( 7&n'(n2 '&&+(na(on o (s 7oss&ss(on o on&s1(7 1ou21 7o7& 7o*&&'(n2s. %(n*& "#3" u7 o 1& 7&s&n, 7&((on& ATOK 1as &&n (n *on(nuous an' &*)us(v& 7oss&ss(on o 1& $&'(a +(n&a) *)a(+ 1()& 7(va& &s7on'&ns 7oss&ss(on sa&' on)! so+&(+& (n "#9= 1&n 1& *onsu*&' a 1ous& 1&&on. C)&a)!, ATOK 1as su7&(o 7oss&sso!

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