APEX Mining Co Inc plans to contest a ruling by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau that upheld the mining claim of state-held North Davao Mining Corp to a disputed site on the main southern island of Mindanao, Apex said.

Apex and North Davao have overlapping claims in the Compostela Valley on Mindanao.

“We have a strong case and are determined to take this all the way to the Supreme Court, no matter how long this might drag [on],” Apex said in a written statement.

Apex said the bureau could not approve North Davao’s application for a financial and technical assistance grant because it was not based on valid mining claims.

Earlier, Apex’s majority shareholder, Crew Gold Corp, offered to buy North Davao, but was told to participate in a bidding process to be conducted by the state-owned Natural Resources Mining and Development Corp. Apex said it had the financial muscle to develop the North Davao mining concession.

Trading of Apex shares has been suspended because the stock exchange is seeking formal notice from the company about its plan to take legal action against the bureau’s ruling.

The exchange said trading in the stock resumes at 10 am, with or without any statement from Apex.

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