SEC. 3. The Bureau of Mines shall have the following powers and functions, to wit:
Have direct charge in the administration and disposition of the mineral lands and mineral resources of the country;
To grant, or recommend to the Secretary of Natural Resources the granting of, mining to duly qualified persons;
To issue subpoena and summon witnesses to appear in any proceedings before the Panel of Investigators created by Presidential Decree No. 309 and Letter of Instructions Nos. 119 and 135 or in special committees created by the Director of Mines, and in appropriate cases, punish said witnesses for contempt, direct or indirect, in accordance with pertinent provisions of the Rules of Court;
To impose fines and/or penalties for violations of the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 463 or any other laws being, implemented by the Bureau of Mines, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, its orders, decisions and rulings;
To confiscate surety, performance, and guaranty bonds posted with the Bureau of Mines after due notice and hearing in an order to be promulgated by the Director of Mines;
To arrest or order the arrest, even without warrant, of any person who has committed or is in the act of committing any of the offenses defined under Presidential Decree No. 463, or any other laws being implemented by the Bureau of Mines, and seize and confiscate or order the seizure and confiscation, in favor of the Government, of the tools and equipment used in the commission of the offense and the minerals extracted by the offender, and institute whatever action that may be necessary relative thereto;
To deputize, when necessary, any member or unit of the PC, police agency, barangay or any qualified person to police all mining activities;
To require claim holders/operators as part of their mining activities to keep in their office complete set of books of accounts showing all receipts and expenditures, the source of such receipts, and the object of such expenditures, and assign authorized representatives of the Bureau of Mines to inspect such books of accounts;
To require claim holders/operators to submit to the Bureau of Mines a semi-annual report verified under oath containing: an itemized account or balance sheet for the previous semester, embracing a fill and complete statement of all disbursements, and receipts, showing from what sources such receipts were derived, and to whom and for what object or purpose such disbursements or payments were made; all indebtedness or liabilities incurred, or existing at the time, and for what the same were incurred, and the balance of money, if any, on hand; a statement showing the number of men employed, and for what purpose and the rate of wages paid to each; a full and complete statement of the work dine in said mine, and amount of ore extracted, from what part of mine taken, the amount sent to mill for production, output of the mill, and its assay value. Every claim holder/operator shall likewise keep in its office, a full report, under oath, of all discoveries of ores made in said mine, whether by boring, drifting, sinking, or otherwise together with the assay value thereof. All discounts, reports, and correspondence from the superintendent of operations must be kept in the office of every claim holder/operator, and a copy of all said accounts, reports and correspondence shall be filed with, and shall be subject to verification by, the Director of Mines;
To conduct or undertake geological, mining, metallurgical, chemical, and other researches and prepare reports thereon; and to provide laboratory and technical services to the general public;
To conduct geological and geophysical surveys of the Philippines and its territorial waters, and to prepare reports and maps therefor;
To conduct other kinds of surveys of all mineralized areas, and inventory of the mineral resources, of the Philippines and prepare reports, boundary plans and maps therefor;
To disseminate information concerning the administration and disposition of mineral lands, mining operations, utilization of minerals, mineral economics, geological and other surveys, researches, and such other activities of the Bureau of Mines through appropriate reports, bulletins and circulars, and to conduct rural mineral education;
To oversee the mining operations of holders/operators of mining claims more particularly of mining practices and methods relating to protection of life and property, economy of operations, prevention of pollution, environmental protection and mineral conservation, and order the suspension of any or all mining operations or closure of the mines, if warranted;
To require the operator of lessee to take necessary measures to provide for the growth and development of any industry suitable for the area, other than mining in order that when the mine is exhausted or becomes no longer profitable for mining purposes the people residing therein or those who used to work for the mine will have a substitute industry or business activity to provide for their means of livelihood, and to place the mine or leased area in a condition suitable for habitation or agriculture;
To keep records of mining locations, leases, patents, permits and licenses, and all documents and instruments related thereto;
To furnish any person requesting for the same, one or more certified copies of any record kept or in the possession of the Central Office or the Mines Regional Offices or district offices, upon payment of the required fees therefor;
To engage in mineral canvassing, exploration, development, and exploitation of the mineral resources of the country, whether found in mineral reservations, in registered mining claims, or in private and/or public lands; and
To exercise complete management and control over areas embraced by mineral reservations.
