From January 2-12, 2012, fourteen Canadian delegates visited the
Cordillera and Ilocos Regions in an exposure mission, the Beaconsfield
Initiative, to evaluate the impact of Canadian mining interests in the
Cordillera and its accompanying human rights issues. The visit also aims
to strengthen long-term covenants, partnerships and solidarity between
church congregations and peoples organizations in the Cordilleras and the
United Church of Canada.
/p
/p
x
For Immediate Release
12 January 2012
Canadian delegation evaluates the impacts of Canadian mining
applications in the Cordillera
From January 2-12, 2012, fourteen Canadian delegates visited the
Cordillera and Ilocos Regions in an exposure mission, the Beaconsfield
Initiative, to evaluate the impact of Canadian mining interests in the
Cordillera and its accompanying human rights issues. The visit also aims
to strengthen long-term covenants, partnerships and solidarity between
church congregations and peoples organizations in the Cordilleras and the
United Church of Canada.
Results of the Beaconsfield Initiative will be used to develop a church
policy on mining that will be introduced at the 41st General Council in
Ottawa, Canada this year and to the standing committees on Justice and
Human Rights and Foreign Affairs and International Development of the
Canadian House of Commons.
At present, there are six Canadian mining companies with mining
applications in indigenous peoples’ territories in the provinces of
Benguet and Abra namely: Columbus/Magellan, Olympus Mining Company,
Solfotara mining company, Pacific Metals Canada-Philippines, Adancex, and
Canex. The 5th Infantry Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines is
deployed in the Cordillera and Abra is one of the most militarized
provinces in the region. The 503rd Brigade is stationed in the province
under the command of Col. Eliseo Posadas.
The delegation met with local government officials in Benguet, Ilocos Sur
and Abra and discussed mining, militarization and human rights concerns. A
meeting was also held on January 11 with representatives of the Department
of Justice where a letter of concern from the delegation calling on the
immediate release of two political prisoners in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur was
submitted, and urgent concerns on human rights in the Cordillera were
raised.
On the last day of the mission (today), the delegation will met with the
Ambassador and staff of the Canadian Embassy in Manila.
The Beaconsfield Initiative exposure mission is jointly organized by the
Beaconsfield United Church in Canada, United Church of Christ in the
Philippines (UCCP), National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP),
Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA), Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA),
and Regional Ecumenical Council of the Cordilleras (RECCORD).###
x
Scientists and Environmental Advocates Show
Opposition to the Mining Conference
September 16, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
September 14, 2011
Just as the bull market for metals has actively pushed the mining industry
of the country, the Philippine government welcomed it with open arms with
mining applications totaling to 2,136. The liberalization of the local
mining industry has been flaunted by the Chamber of Mines of the
Philippines to gain foreign partnership in the business of mining. They
have sponsored a three-day mining conference from September 13 to Sept. 15
at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel. The said conference is participated
by almost 500 local and international delegates to discuss the global
scenario of mining investments and its opportunities.
"This is a big gathering of foreign large-scale mining corporations with
unprecedented history of plunder of mining resources and the cause of
irreversible environmental destruction,” says Dr. Giovanni Tapang of AGHAM
(Advocates of Science and Technology for the People). "While it is true
that mining is a crucial part of the economic development of any
developing nation, the nationalization of the local mining industry is the
only path towards growth and development of the country ", he added.
The current orientation of the Philillpine mining industry is
export-oriented and import-dependent that suffices the need of the global
demand rather than the development of the local economy. Hence, the mining
activity in the country is nothing but intensive extraction of minerals
with limited processes for smelting, refining and fabrication. Dr. Tapang
emphasized that the current mining industry does not result in the
fulfilment of national growth and development.
"The Philippines, as an agricultural country, should be benefitting from
these mining activities. Products of mining such as agricultural tools and
machinery should have been developed and used for agricultural
development. But these have not been fulfilled mainly because the
high-value mineral products are not made available locally but has to be
imported at a high cost", Dr. Tapang further explained.
The prevalence of environmental destructions in many areas where
large-scale mining are taking place are incidentally, home of poor farming
communities and indigenous peoples. They are the ones who undergo the most
negative impact of mining activities, which includes involuntary
displacement, loss of livelihood and military harassment. For the
indigenous peoples, there are the wanton disregard of customary laws and
the right to self-determination.
"This mining conference is an indication that there's no stopping on the
continuous plunder of our natural resources. We protested yesterday, along
with the indigenous peoples and other environmental advocates to mark our
opposition to the unending cycle of plunder of our natural resources. The
Philippine Mining Act of 1995, the legal entity for foreign mining
operations must be scrapped and replaced with a pro-people and
pro-environment policy, the People's Mining Bill. The bill would be the
embodiment of a country that endeavours national industrialization that
would propel national progress and development." Dr. Tapang concluded.#
Years after the Arroyo administration allowed a controversial large-scale
mine to operate in the fragile and typhoon-battered island of Rapu-Rapu in
Albay province, affected communities continue to suffer from
mining-related pollution, poverty, and health problems.
This was affirmed by a Solidarity and Fact-Finding Mission organized from
May 11 to 13, 2009 by environmental activists, health professionals,
fisherfolks, Church people from the National Capital Region, Bikol region
and Japan. The mission was organized to confirm reports of continuing and
worsening negative impacts of large-scale mining on the local communities
of the island.
The mission was comprised of 37 participants from 28 organizations:
Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, Center for Environmental
Concerns (CEC-Phils), Sagip Isla Sagip Kapwa (SISK), Health Alliance for
Democracy (HEAD), Community Medicine Foundation, PAMALAKAYA, Peace for
Life, Philippine Collegian, Bulatlat, AGHAM, Redemptorist Baclaran, Takagi
Citizen Science Foundation, Friends of the Earth – Japan, Bayan Bikol, KMP
Bikol, UMALPAS KA Bikol and Camarines Norte chapters, Bagong Alyansang
Makabayan-Camarines Sur, PAMALAKAYA Masbate, Kilusang Mayo Uno-Bikol,
ABAKA Catanduanes, KADAMAY Bikol, CSPO, Bikol Express Multimedia, AMLDM,
and the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines.
Probing into the people's condition
The Rapu-Rapu mine project was formerly owned by Australian junior mining
firm Lafayette Mining, Inc. Lafayette announced bankruptcy in early 2008
following continuous protests from the community for its closure due to
economic displacement and negative environmental effects of mining. The
affected villages have yet to receive compensation and the area has yet to
be rehabilitated. Lafayette's share in the mine project was sold to a
Korean and Malaysian investors, Korea Resources Limited and Malaysia
Smelting Corporation, who intend to continue with the mining operations.
The Solidarity and Fact-Finding Mission intended to conduct a survey and
check-up on the local situation after these developments in the mining
areas. A series of consultations, with the residents of Rapu-Rapu's
barangays, experts and other advocates, was held throughout all the stages
of research to ensure that the study was grounded on the aspirations and
needs of the people of the said areas.
The mission was composed of two technical working groups, composed of
experts, environmentalists, Church and health workers, and leaders from
different sectors, which focused on the environmental degradation and the
health situation of the communities.
Persistence of Poverty
The mission concluded that the coastal degradation due to mining
operations has resulted in a decline of fish catch and consequently, more
poverty for the island's residents, most of whom rely on fishing for a
living.
The mission participants observed that the coastal areas adjacent to and
surrounding the open-pit mining operations, particularly Barangays
Carogcog, Tinopan, Viga and Buenavista, have experienced rapid loss of
coral covers because of pollution. Residents of Barangay Buenavista
estimated that they have already lost almost 50% of their coral reefs
after Lafayette’s large-scale mining operations started in the island.
“The major source of livelihood in the area is catching Malasugi or Blue
Marlin, a type of tuna, in Albay Gulf. However, there is alarming
reduction of fish catch reported by the fishermen in the island. Our
collated data points that the people experienced an estimated fish catch
loss of 80-90% since the mining operation of Lafayette mining started to
dispose mine wastes into the sea,” pointed out Fernando Hicap, chairman of
the nationwide fisherfolk federation PAMALAKAYA.
“The fishermen are forced to fish in as far as Catanduanes province which
increases their working time and production expenses.,” he added.
Malasugi and other tuna species are believed to have moved farther away
from Rapu-Rapu island because of marine pollution, degradation of the
local marine habitats and blastings of the mine operation. Some of the
communities have also observed decreasing population and loss of marine
species such as seashells and small fishes that they usually catch for
food.
“People are fast losing their livelihood and food sources in the island.
The extensive pollution and degradation of the local marine ecosystem and
water sources in the area resulted in the drastic decrease in people’s
income and livelihood. We believe that the main factor in this
environmental degradation and pollution is the continuing massive release
of mine wastes to the rivers of Rapu-rapu and Albay Gulf,” said Clemente
Bautista, spokesperson for the mission.
In 2007, Ibon Foundation, a research NGO, conducted a study on the
economic impact of Lafayette mining on the local communities and reported
that there was a 30-70% decrease in income of fisherfolk after two years
of mining operations.
Health Impacts
The medical and health services team accompanying the mission also noted
the presence of medical ailments and diseases in the communities covered
by the survey.
“We have noted several cases of dermatological problems, such as itchy
lesions among the residents in several barangays in Rapu-rapu. The
residents told us that these dermatological problems started to surface
since the start of large-scale mining in the area. They also reported an
unusual increase in the occurrence of respiratory problems such as cough
and colds in their community,” said Dr. Geneve Rivera, Secretary-General
of Health Alliance for Democracy and head of the mission's medical team.
“What aggravates the situation is the lack of medical services in the
area. Majority of the residents are very poor and cannot afford to go to
medical facilities in Rapu-rapu or Legazpi City. This situation leads to
several deaths, particularly among children, from simple illnesses such as
diarrhea and vomiting,” she added.
Residents want mining stopped
The mission also reiterated the demand of local residents and
organizations for the closure of the mining project in the island.
“We continue to suffer the adverse effects of mining operation of
Lafayette. Foreign mining companies have
grabbed our lands, poisoned our seas and destroyed our environment. Worse,
the Arroyo government instead of helping has abandoned us and is
stubbornly forcing us to accept these destructive operations,” asserted
Antonio Casitas, leader of the local organization Sagip Isla, Sagip Kapwa.
“Our situation is becoming worse every year. In order to arrest this, the
local government should urgently suspend the mining operations,
investigate the marine degradation in the area and immediately provide
financial and food assistance to the poor communities of Rapu-rapu. Once
and for all, the Arroyo government should listen to the people and
immediately stop the large-scale mining in our beloved island,” Casitas
ended.
While barely recovering from the havoc wreaked by typhoons Ondoy and
Pepeng during the last quarter of 2009, the Cagayan Valley region has been
hit by an equally devastating menace through the El Nino season which
struck in February 2010. Local governments declared the province in a
state of calamity while the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC)
categorized it as the region most affected by the typhoons with the
highest worth of estimated damages to agricultural products amounting to
P6.2 billion.
Isabela province, the known rice and corn granary of Luzon, was among the
most heavily devastated provinces, with 62.25 percent of its total land
area planted with palay and some 73.43 percent planted with corn. Damages
to local agriculture amounted to an estimated P4.09 billion which affected
a total of 112,000 farmers from the 34 towns and two cities in the
province. Natural disasters however, were not the only problems the
province had to deal with in relation to their environment. Human-induced
activities such as mining were rampant in the area, placing its mostly
agricultural communities under perilous circumstances.
In response to this onslaught caused by El Niño, and recognizing the
existence of mining in the area that may have compounded the dire effects
of the disaster to the farmers and their environment, an Environmental
Service Mission (ESM) was held last April 7 to 8, 2010 in the city of
Ilagan, Isabela.
EIM team visits communities
The ESM seeks to assess the environmental, social and economic impacts of
a certain natural phenomenon and how it was aggravated by irresponsible
man-made activities, neglect and flawed governmental policies. It also
aimed to provide recommendations and concrete actions to prevent or
minimize the effects of natural and man-made disasters in the future.
Spearheaded by Taripnong, a Metro Manila-based organization of Cagayan
Valley advocates, in partnership with Lakbay Cagayan Valley and farmers’
organization Danggayan Dagiti Mannalon ti Cagayan Valley, the ESM
mobilized a team offarmer-leaders, scientists, students, and volunteers to
visit communities from four depressed barangays in Ilagan namely: Batong
Labang (formerly called Bintacan); Cabecera 14-16; Cabecera 25 and
Cabecera 27.
Using a Participatory Rapid Rural Appraisal method to gather qualitative
information, the team held focus group discussions, key informant
interviews, spot mapping, water source mapping, and ground truthing.
Community meetings spearheaded by the ESM team were attended by
approximately 800 families in Brgy. Batong Labang; 600 families at
Cabecera 14-16; 400 families at Cabecera 25 and 100 families at Cabecera
27.
Impacts of El Nino on water, crops El Nino is a phenomenon caused by warm
wind from unusually warm oceans in the Equatorial Pacific, through the
process of oscillation. The ESM team gathered community views on how well
this phenomenon and its effects was understood by most. Asked about what
the El Niño phenomenon means to them, some community partners expressed a
general notion of “punishment from God” for man-made evils and errors such
as the destruction of the environment, such as the cutting of trees.
Community folk were able to describe in detail the the effects of El Nino
on their lives and their environment.
Some effects of drought that the community reported were difficulties of
water sourcing in the area. Pumped water used for drinking has gone below
the regular water basin levels while rivers have run dry in most
tributaries as recorded in their statements. As a result, livestock were
dehydrated, animal diseases spread further in the fields and deaths of
both crops and livestock due to extreme drought became prevalent. There
were also recorded cases of diarrhea in the area.
This lack of access to adequate freshwater sources for irrigation caused
devastating impacts on the local agricultural productivity. The average
harvest for the season reached only a minimum low yield of six to right
cavans per hectare for both rice and corn productsin irrigable and
irrigated lands. Rain-fed plots, however, recorded a much lower yield.
This situation has contributed to worsening the lives of community
members, who have often nothing left but their piles of credit lists from
sari-sari store owners and usurers in the area who lend money at interest
rates as high as 30%.
Large-scale mining
In addition to the drought season caused by El Nino, the area's
agricultural and freshwater resources are also threatened due to the
exploration operations of large-scale mining companies.
Partner interviewees reported that the presence of an exploratory open pit
mining for iron started as early as 2006 in the area by Altera Mining
Company. However, they stressed that no information campaign and public
consultation was conducted by the company despite their hiring of some
residents as stone/brick lifters and the knowledge of local officials
about the operations.
Community informants recalled their surprise when bulldozers, backhoes and
other large equipment started to dig a pit for the mining bio-prospecting
activity. Residents disclosed that a 20-fathom deep open pit was dug in
the vicinity of Barangay Batong Labang or Bintacan. Lifters hired were
paid P80.00 to P 150.00 for one cubic meter of piled stones extracted.
Residents associate the ongoing mining operations with the landslides,
pollution of the rivers, destruction of crops, and fishkills that happened
during the last rainy season. George Domingo, a resident of Cabecera 25,
reported that his irrigation went down because of heavy siltation that
eventually destroyed some fourteen farm lots dependent on it. Because of
the exploration activities, soil and rocks near the site has become loose
and was prone to erosion. The mining company did not pay for any of the
damages.
Residents also observed that brackish water with metal sludge had seeped
into the water basin of household water pumps that they use as a source of
drinking water.
Because of these effects, the community expressed ambivalence on the
prospects that mining operations will continue in the area. Some had
justified their participation in the mining activity as hired stone
lifters only because of their poverty. Others said that they had turned
down participation in mining activities during a certain mining proposal
hearing in the area. Meanwhile, an earlier petition signing activity was
undertaken to stop mining operations in Barangay Batong Labang but has
managed to push through because certain officials had approved its
operations.
Conclusion and recommendations
The team concluded that, like other agricultural provinces characterized
by widespread landlessness, poverty-stricken farm households of the four
barangays visited suffered more with the onslaught of extreme drought,
after their regular yearly dose of floods. Mining operations have further
aggravated this situation because of its direct environmental and economic
impacted on the livelihood of farmers.
The team recommended the following measures: 1. That food relief be
provided to the community until after the next cropping season to help
them adapt to the immediate effects of El Nino; 2. That contingency
measures should be put in place as La Nina takes place right after an El
Nino episode; 3. That in the longer run, proper planning for food
production towards food security be developed; and finally, 4. That the
mining activity created environmental problems in the community and should
be stopped.
The Center for Environmental Concerns spearheaded an environmental
investigative mission (EIM) on the Xtstrata-SMI mining operations in Davao
del Sur and Sultan Kudarat to get a first hand assessment of the initial
and potential impacts of the Tampakan Copper-Gold Mining Project of
foreign transnational corporation Xstrata and Philippine-based affiliate
Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI). The EIM was held from August 26 to 28, 2010
and capped by a press conference held in Digos City on August 28, 2010.
The EIM is a participatory research approach to understanding
environmental issues affecting communities. The mission aimed to determine
present and future impacts of the large-scale mining project on the
communities and the environment, particularly in the municipalities of
Columbio, Sultan Kudarat (where part of the open pit area would be
located) and Malalag, Davao del Sur where the port, filter and power plant
facilities are to be constructed.
The EIM was launched in cooperation with Kalikasan People’s Network for
the Environment, Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas, ICON-SP,
SocCSkSarGenDs-AGENDA (Alliance for Genuine Development Inc.), Social
Action-Diocese of Marbel, Tampakan Parish, Columbio Multi-Sectoral Ecology
Movement (CMEM), Columbio Parish, Tingog ug Gugma Alang sa Kinaiyahan,
Save Taplan River Movement, Panalipdan Youth, Save Malaglag Bay Movement,
and MASIPAG.
The Tampakan FTAA and the Philippine Mining Act of 1995
Eighteen years have passed since giant mining companies explored the
quadri-boundaries of SoCSKSARGENDS in 1992, while fifteen years have
passed since the Republic Act 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995
was enacted into law. Surprisingly, Western Mining Corporation had
acquired the Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) for , a
type of mineral concession, for Tampakan prior to the implementation of RA
7942. An FTAA allows 100% foreign ownership and capital investment of
mining projects and incentives and auxilliary rights, such as the right to
timber and water in their concession areas.
CMEM says that the granting of FTAA to WMC by the government and the rapid
transfer of mining rights to different mining companies to the present
SMI-XSTRATA grossly violated and sold out the rights of the people,
especially the indigenous peoples and their ancestral domains.
In February 1997, the La Bugal organization of Columbio, Sultan Kurat,
challenged the constitutionality of RA 7942. After seven years, in 2004,
the Supreme Court (SC) ruled favoring the petitioners. However, the same
year, the SC reversed its decision due with the intervention and influence
of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a known proponent of mining
liberalization and the author of RA 7942.
Xstrata-SMI’s Tampakan Mining Project
The Tampakan project is a 2.4 billion metric ton deposit with 13.5 million
metric tons of copper and 15.8 million ounces of gold at a 0.3% cut-off
grade. It ranks as the fifth largest known undeveloped copper-gold deposit
worldwide and is expected to be the largest single foreign investment in
the Philippines at around $5.2 billion. Additional investments are
expected once the project commences commercial production from 2015 to
2033.
From company reports, SMI said that the project has the potential to
become an economic driver for Mindanao, projecting a contribution of at
$37 billion to the Philippine economy over the life of the mine (first 17
years) at an average contribution of one percent to gross domestic product
yearly.
However, still to be fully determined is the entire range of ecological,
socio-economic, and cultural impacts of the Tampakan concession, one of
the biggest mining projects to be conducted on Philippine soil. The EIM
hopes to contribute to building a more complete scenario of the full
impacts of the mining operations.
Salient Findings of the EIM
Below are the EIM's major findings, based on the EIM team’s interviews,
focus group discussions (FGD) and field visits. FGD’s were conducted with
the sectors vulnerable to the impacts of mining operations in Columbio
municipality: peasants, irrigators, fisherfolk, women, residents and
indigenous peoples, particularly the B’laan tribe. Interviews were also
conducted with some key local officials.
a. Faultlines in Tampakan pose risks to the stability of the mine
The proposed mining site is traversed by numerous fault lines particularly
where the tailings pond is planned to be located. A geological survey of
the area reveals that Mindanao Island is traversed by the Philippine Fault
and the Cotabato Fault. The deposit lies within the Cotabato Fault Zone, a
west-northwest trending strike slip fault zone. The tailings pond that is
to be constructed in Kiblawan lies on an area cut by a strike slip fault.
This poses a big risk to the stability of the pond that will be built.
Figure 1 shows the proposed layout of the Tampakan project. The tailings
pond is a reservoir used to store tailings, slurry of spent ore,
contaminated with high amounts of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic
and copper and other toxic elements. If the dam fails, there is a high
risk that heavy metals and toxic elements will flow to the Mal River which
supports the agricultural and domestic needs of the people in Malalag,
Hagonoy and Kiblawan in Davao del Sur.
Figure 2 shows a detailed map of the faults traversing through the
proposed mine site. The blue line delineates the proposed tenement area.
The map suggests that the area is cut with numerous faults. The point
where the tailings pond will be located is cut by a strike slip fault.
This poses a big risk to the stability of the pond that will be built.
b.Threat to food security
Agriculture is the dominant economic activity in Davao del Sur and
Columbio. Various phases of open-pit mining would create massive
disturbance to the environmental ecosystem. Failure of the tailings dam is
projected to severely damage watershed and irrigation infrastructures that
support Mindanao’s food basket.
The construction of a coal-fired power plant to supply the mine's
electrical needs in Malalag Bay, Davao del Sur endangers fish productivity
and the bay's health. Malalag Bay is a rich area for coastal biodiversity,
where a fish sanctuary has been set up by the local government. Most
coastal communities in Davao del Sur also depend on these fishing grounds
for food and livelihood. The government’s approval of the power plant is
thus a risk to the aquaculture and fishing activities in Malalag Bay.
c.False promise of employment and income opportunities
Xstrata-SMI is wafting a sweet promise of development in communities
thirsting for economic support from the government and even basic social
services. The company boasts of generating employment and creating 9,000
jobs in host communities.
But SocCSkSarGenDs-AGENDA stated that close to 40,000 people (mostly
farmers, fishermen, and indigenous people) will lose their source of
livelihood to large-scale mining. “The 9,000 contractual or seasonal jobs
promised are nothing compared to the irreversible loss of our resources,
the degradation of the environment and the tampering of our patrimony; as
well as the health hazards for the workers and local residents who have to
contend with the dirtiest industry in the world,” the group said in a
statement.
Precedents of dubious economic gains have already been noted in other
large-scale mining areas. Arturo C. Boquiren, an economics professor of UP
Baguio who has conducted studies on mining-affected communities in Benguet
where mining has persisted for close to 100 years, observed that “poverty
rates are higher in mining communities and local government units hosting
corporate mining do not earn incomes significantly higher than
municipalities who do not host mining.”
d.Militarization and Human Rights Violations
According to SOCCSKSARGENDS Agenda, among of the most militarized areas in
south central Mindanao today are the communities within and surrounding
the mining site of Xstrata-SMI-Hillcrest On the pretext of “clearing the
areas of subversive elements”, the Philippine Armed Forces, particularly
the 27th IB, the 39th IB, Task Force Kitaco and the CAFGUs have
continuously launched a military campaign of terror and harassment on
civilians, mostly members of the B’laan tribe.
On March 9, 2009, Eliezer Billanes, SOCCSKSARGENDS Agenda chairperson and
known as a staunch critic of Xstrata-SMI Mining, was gunned down in the
Koronadal City, about 50 meters from a police station. Felix Espanola, who
served as deputy chairman of Agenda, was forced to go into hiding after
receiving death threats similar to what Billanes received before he was
killed.
e.Displacement of IP communities
Thousands of IPs stand to be displaced from their ancestral lands. Several
B’laan communities have already been eased out. From the company’s active
campaign for the entry of the mines, the B’laan were told that their
communities would not be negatively affected by mine operations. On the
other hand, the company promised to provide scholarships and livelihood
programs.
Residents admitted that as long as their ancestral lands would not be
affected, they are willing to support the mining company as it provides
incentives that the communities need but lack. However, such offers on the
part of the company and their failure to disclose the possible negative
impacts and other information about their operation violate the principles
of the Free, Informed and Prior Consent, prior to the start of any
project.
Currently, SMI-Xstrata, is aggressively completing its Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA), the most crucial stage before they can acquire
the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC). As stated by the acting
director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, the entry of a Filipino
company, San Miguel Corporation (SMC), in the Tampakan project will
appease the dissent against the project.
Glaring poverty, backward agriculture and degraded lands would be further
aggravated once mining operations commence. The Tampakan project will not
be the solution to the underdevelopment and poverty of the affected areas
and will in fact worsen the degradation of the environment and communities
as proven by the experiences of other mining areas in the country.
On March 15, Jimboy Saya, aged 10, our Blaan student in the remote village
of Dlumay, was forced by soldiers of the 73rd IB to be photographed donned
with a chain of sub-machine gun bullets carrying an M-16 rifle -- “NPA
child warrior going to school in Dlumay.”
This is but the latest of a vicious and systematic harassment launched by
the 73rd IB against Center for Lumad Advocacy and Services (CLANS) and its
projects in the communities it has been serving in Upper Suyan, Malapatan,
Sarangani Province.
Since November last year and continuing up to the time of this writing,
our staff, our schoolchildren and their parents, and the community
leaders, have been subjected to interrogation, harassment, vilification,
ridicule and terror. They even went as far as ordering a Blaan family to
exhume their dead Pastor, who died of lingering illness, because he was
suspected as an NPA killed in action.
We have tried to document these atrocities in detail and for the past
months have bravely stood our ground in the school and in the community
against the platoon of gun-toting government soldiers who would not let us
have a day of peace. On February 18 (which was supposedly ceasefire) no
less than our program coordinator, Maricel Salem was interrogated by a
certain Sgt. Jake Geron and Pfc Cabawbaw in the sityo center of Datalnay
for a full three hours. The military tried to cull information from her on
the identities of the staff, the structure of the program and the
institution, the source of funding, etc. They also tried to pin down
Maricel into admitting that CLANS is anti government as shown in its
tarpaulin-printed 5 point agenda (struggle for the ancestral land,
protection of the environment, anti large scale mining, access to basic
social services, and anti-development aggression). “Your school is against
the government and we will not think twice about killing anyone who is
against the government.” They told her in front of the Datalnay residents
and the staff who bravely tried not to show that they were scared.
The military have also tried to create a rift between CLANS and the
community by insinuating that we have pocketed the funds of the micro
hydro project for the reason that it has not been finished up to this day.
All these are just too much for us and for our young Blaan literacy
teachers and staff whose painstaking hard work with the lumad children in
this very remote area is being demolished by the military. “We want to
finish the school year with the children and hold graduation!”, the
teachers cry out, frustrated and sad.
We have tried our best to seek support from the local government by
sending letters and seeking audience with the Barangay Council and
Barangay Captain of Upper Suyan and even with the local government of
Malapatan and of the province of Sarangani. But we still have to see any
assistance or support from them.
More troops arrived on March 16, 2011 in Dlumay and in other sitios of
Upper Suyan. And the military has become even more arrogant and vicious,
interrogating community leaders for hours on end, terrorizing the
residents.
Given the situation, we had no choice but to temporarily move out of the
area. School is closed and the micro hydro project is at a standstill. We
do not know how long will the military stay in the area, or if they will
be the ones to guard the mining sites of San Miguel Corporation, which is
where our school and project areas are currently located.
Meanwhile, can’t we do something about this? We cannot afford to just sit
down and swallow all the atrocities piled on us with nary a word of
indignation or protest. Nor leave the lumad children that we have learned
to love. Nor turn our backs on the community who have nurtured us for so
long.
And we cannot do this alone. We need your help. And you can help through
the following:
1. Expose the real situation in Dlumay and its surrounding lumad
communities and in many other parts of Sarangani and Mindanao. Tell your
family and friends about the military atrocities and human rights
violations happening here. The more people know the truth, the faster and
wider our support.
2. Join our Task Force Help our Children, Save our School ( Tnabeng e Dad
Nga Mi, Tnamang e Skul Mi), fact finding and documentation mission to
Upper Suyan which will be scheduled very soon.
3. Help us reinstate our literacy school, teachers and pupils by driving
away the military from our communities. Write petition letters addressed
to:
a. His Excellency Benigno Aquino III
b. The Department of Education
c. The Commission on Human Rights
d. Honorable Emmanuel Pacquiao of Sarangani Province
e. Governor Miguel Dominguez of Sarangani Province
f. Vice-Goverrnor Steve Solon Sarangani Province
g. Mayor Alfonso Singcoy of the municipality of Malapatan
h. Barangay Captain Cristino Yatoy of Upper Suyan
4. Contribute to the Help our Children, Save our School ( Tnabeng e Dad
Nga Mi, Tnamang e Skul Mi) campaign. We need money, food, medicines and
others.
5. Provide trainers’ training on debriefing for the psychosocial
debriefing of our students and communities where we are, especially for
our teachers and organizers.
The arrest order for Gen. Jovito Palparan is a long delayed action of
government. He should be arrested and detained with dispatch. The PNP
manhunt should continue despite his surrender feelers and the surrender of
his cohorts. The government should not also give him any special treatment
and privilege.
Like his former boss – Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – they should spend
Christmas in jail and serve the full extent of the penalty attached to the
grave crimes they have committed. His arrest, detention and speedily
brought to justice is a small gift that PNoy can give to his victims this
Yuletide.
PNoy should not stop there but to do the same for ALL other State security
agents perpetrating violations of human rights and international
humanitarian law. Aside from the arrest and detention and immediate
prosecution of Palparan et. al.
In his assignment in the Cordilleras sometime 2004, Palparan was
responsible for the torture and killings of indigenous peoples. He
tortured Marcelo Fakilang (now deceased) in his own ator – of Betwagan,
Sadanga, Mtn. Province – undermining indigenous socio-political systems
and disregarding the respect for a tribal leader; and the enforced
disappearance of Aboli of Dallik, Bontoc, Mtn. Province. He also commanded
the paramilitary CAFGU that was responsible for many atrocities against
indigenous peoples in the region.
The prosecution of current State security agents shall send a clear
message that the arrest and detention of an infamous dreaded military
officer in the person of Palparan is NOT just for show. Such would prevent
a creation of another berdugo – another butcher – who shall rise among the
ranks and perpetrate gross human rights violations with impunity.
If sincere to his words of promotion of human rights, PNoy should scrap
Oplan Bayanihan. It is no different from Oplan Bantay Laya and other
counter-insurgency policy of previous governments. It is a policy for
human rights and international humanitarian law violations.
Human rights violators such as the hundred soldiers deployed in the
Cordillera and other indigenous communities should not be rewarded with
medals and promotions. They should be prosecuted to the full extent of the
law. They should be the ones in jail not the hundred of human rights
defenders currently detained all over the country on trumped-up charges.
Injustice to the indigenous people continues
http://www.katribu.org/content/injustice-indigenous-people-continues-0
On the commemoration of International Human Rights Day
Injustice to the indigenous people continues
The indigenous people have nothing to celebrate in today's commemoration
of the 63rd anniversary of the International Human Rights Day. We have all
the reasons to be in rage with the current administration. More than one
year of President Aquino's presidency, there is no significant change in
the condition of the indigenous people's human rights. The climate of
impunity that reigned during the Arroyo administration continues.
The Aquino administration has been inutile in rendering justice to the 150
victims of extrajudicial killings of the previous Arroyo administration.
Worse extrajudicial killings, arrests and detention, threats and political
villification are continuously done to the indigenous people. And it is
much more lethal, thanks to the more dubious security plan cooked up and
implemented by Aquino's security council and the AFP.
Since Aquino took the helm of presidency, 13 extrajudicial killings of
indigenous peoples have been recorded by various IP groups. Sadly, the
administration has done nothing to resolve these killings. Worst, the
Aquino administration has adopted an attitude of denial on these reported
extrajudicial killings.
Indigenous communities resisting so-called development projects that
include large-scale mining, commercial logging and huge dams have
repeatedly evacuated due to intense militarization. Since last year, the
Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP) and Indigenous
Peoples Rights Monitor (IPRM) have documented 10 incidents of forced
evacuation due to intense militarization such as the case of the Mamanwa
communities in Kitcharao and Jabonga, Agusan del Norte. The Mamanwas in
these areas have evacuated four times since May 2010. The militarization
of the Zapanta Valley in Agusan is linked to the mining rush in the said
region.
Indigenous peoples and their communities are also threatened by the
state-sponsored paramilitary groups such as the Bungkatol Liberation Front
(BULIF), Wild Dogs and ALAMARA. President Aquino encourages the formation
of paramilitary groups in indigenous and peasant communities. It seems
that Aquino has not learned anything from the experience of Maguindanao
massacre and the Ondo Perez hostage taking incident.
President Aquino has all the power to stop the atrocities of the state's
armed forces against indigenous peoples. We call upon him to immediately
order the pull out the AFP forces in indigenous communities and to
decisively disband the private armies of local politicians and para-military
groups. We also call upon him to expeditiously prosecute and punish
perpetrators of human rights violations. President Aquino must stop the
worsening human rights conditions of the indigenous people or brace itself
from the wrath of the indigenous peoples. -30-
Indigenous organization under constant harassment
and threats,calls for the pulling out of a palm oil plantation project in
their community
http://www.katribu.org/content/indigenous-organization-under-constant-harassment-and-threatscalls-pulling-out-palm-oil-plan
Misamis Oriental- A indigenous community organization is under threat for
resisting land grabbing carried out by a giant palm oil company, A. Brown,
in Opol, Misamis Oriental, Philippines.
The organization, Pangalasag (literally means 'indigenous shield'), is
objecting the entry of A. Brown Company which will replace their farms,
planted with banana, coconut and other crops, with palm oil. The farmers,
who are from Higaonon tribe of the Mindanao Lumads (indigenous peoples),
demand for the withdrawal of the project which did not even secure their
Free, Prior and Informed Consent.
Members of Pangalasag reported to Kalumbay Regional Lumad Organization on
September 24, 2011 that they are being harassed and intimidated
unceasingly by the company. They have been subjected to a repeated cycle
of persecution since A. Brown came to their place in the last quarter of
2010. Their officers have been put under surveillance and reported that
they have been harassed lately through text messages, and were maltreated
by company guards.
The company's systematic violation of their rights has been left unnoticed
because of the place' severe isolation, and the low literacy level of the
victims to seek redress in courts.
On March 10, 2011, at around 11 in the morning, Pangalasag members Edwin
Baranggot, Jemar Armilla, Fausto Magpulong, Raul Magpulong, Jose Paborada,
Dante Paborada and Ruel Tagupa headed out to gather 'bagacay,' a kind of
bamboo. However, they could not proceed to their intended destination
since they were barred by guards of the A. Brown Company which is starting
an oil palm plantation in the said area.
The farmers proceeded to their temporary shelter at Sitio Limpasan in
Barangay Tingalan, Opol, Misamis Oriental to rest. After almost an hour
later, a dump truck, two pick-up trucks and a jeep arrived. One of the
jeep’s passengers ordered the farmers not to run. The command was followed
by a series of gun fire aimed at the farmers who scattered. Fausto
Magpulong, Jose and Dante Paborada, and Ruel Tagupa were able to flee.
Edwin Baranggot and Jemar Armilla, however, were caught by the assailants.
Armilla, who headed towards a grassy area to hide, was taken at gunpoint.
The man holding his gun even taunted him saying, “Let us just kill him. He
will just rot, nobody would look for him.” Another person handcuffed
Armilla. The assailants introduced themselves to be members of the
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Edwin Baranggot who was hiding nearby surrendered himself after he saw the
man pointing a gun at Armilla. He was also handcuffed and was even punched
on his leg. Both Baranggot and Armilla were then brought to the Opol
Police Station where they were detained for two hours while their captors
ate lunch. One of the alleged NBI agents, not content with what they have
done to the farmers, punched Armilla on his chest thrice.
Baranggot and Armilla were transferred to the NBI office at the Provincial
Capitol Grounds in Cagayan de Oro City where they were further detained
for one night and a day. Ironically, despite of being the victims of
physical and verbal abuse, they were charged by the National Bureau of
Investigation of Direct Asault.
Presently, the two who were released after posting bail, together with the
other farmers who were with them that day, continue to protest the
trumped-up charges against their group.
