Australian mining firm files disbarment complaint vs former chair, law firm partners

September 8, 2026

By ABOGADO.COM.PH Staff

Australian mining firm Celsius Resources Ltd. has filed a disbarment complaint against its former executive chair Julito Sarmiento and five other lawyers from his law firm, following an earlier complaint accusing him of violating the Anti-Dummy Law.

Celsius disclosed the filing in an ASX/AIM announcement, but said it was only confirming the filing of the complaint and not disclosing its details in compliance with confidentiality requirements.

Aside from Sarmiento, also named in the complaint were Maria Elizabeth Peralta-Loriega, founding partner of Sarmiento and Sarmiento Loriega Law; senior partners Recolito Ferdinand Cantre Jr. and Jose Linsangan; senior partner Bryan San Juan; and partner Christine Clemente.

Celsius is in a dispute with Sarmiento over the development of the Maalinao-Caigutan-Biyog (MCB) Copper-Gold Project in Kalinga.

In filing the Anti-Dummy Law violation complaint against Sarmiento, Celsius alleged that he proposed a nominee arrangement that would allegedly allow foreign investors to retain control of a Philippine company, despite constitutional limits on foreign ownership.

Sarmiento allegedly sent an email where he suggested that trusted Filipinos, or the partners of his firm, hold the majority stake in the firm, but they would execute Deeds of Trust and undated Deeds of Assignment so that the foreign firm could retain full control.