Mindoro hunger strikers willing to sit down with Atienza for dialogue only to press ECC revoke demand

Members of the indigenous Mangyan community hold a streamer on the ground of the provincial capitol of Oriental Mindoro in Calapan City on November 16 protesting the Mindoro Nickel Project of the Norway-based Intex Resources. They are set to start a hunger strike in front of the DENR head office in Quezon City to call for the immediate revocation of the mining clearance. FR. EDWIN GARIGUEZ/ALAMIN

PRESS RELEASE

Hunger strikers from the Alyansa Laban sa Mina (ALAMIN) have agreed to sit down for a dialogue with Environment Secretary Lito Atienza but only to press its non-negotiable demand to revoke the mining clearance of Norway-based Intex Resources.

“We will dialogue only to make our non-negotiable demand that Atienza revoke the environmental compliance certificate illegally issued to Intex Resources,” said ALAMIN spokesman Fr. Edwin Gariguez.

Sixteen Mangyans, together with Gariguez and eight others, will begin their hunger strike in front of the main office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Quezon City on November 17 to protest the mining project.

Atienza said over the weekend he would like to know the objections of the Mindorenos and their advocates to the mining project, adding he was willing to reconsider the ECC if found defective.

But Gariguez said the former Manila mayor should have called for a dialogue even before he gave Intex the go-ahead signal to mine 11,216.6 hectares of land on Mindoro island.

“Now Atienza wants to dialogue? He should have done that before approving the ECC of Intex,” Gariguez.

He said the environment chief violated mining and local government laws with the ECC issuance.

“The violation or defects in the ECC process are very clear,” Gariguez said.

“It is required by the law that the decision and positions of the local government units (LGUs) and stakeholder communities be respected as provided in Section 70 of the Mining Act of 1995 and pursuant to Section 26 and 27 of the Local Government Code of 1991,” he said.

“Consultation with and consent of LGUs are prerequisite before issuing the ECC to any environmentally-critical projects, like mining. But Atienza trivialized and made a mockery of this legal requirement,” Gariguez said.

Oriental Mindoro has ordered a 25-year ban on large-scale mining in the province while the municipal government of Sablayan issued an ordinance opposing the mining project.

“Atienza, by issuing the ECC unilaterally, without the consent of the LGUs, insulted the people of Mindoro by maliciously promoting the interest of the Norwegian company, Intex Resources, and totally disregarding the objection of the stakeholder LGUs,” Gariguez said.

The 25 hunger strikers represent the 25-year moratorium on large-scale mining imposed by the local governments of Mindoro, organizers said.

Early this month, the island’s two governors, Arnan Panaligan of Oriental Mindoro and Josephine Ramirez-Sato of Occidental Mindoro, threatened to sue Atienza over the “patently illegal” issuance of the mining clearance.

For more information:
Fr. Edwin A. Gariguez
Mobile number: (0919) 8005595
Email: edugariguez@gmail.com

Senator Pimentel assails DENR for Mindoro mining clearance

Indigenous children play in Kisluyan, one of 26 Mangyan villages facing threat of displacement if Intex Resources begins its nickel mine operations within their ancestral land. ALLAN LISSNER

PRESS RELEASE

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) has assailed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for issuing an environment compliance certificate (ECC) to a foreign mining venture in Mindoro island in a water-shed area in total disregard of the strong objection of the provincial folk against the activity due to its potentially harmful effects on agriculture and human health.

Pimentel said the issuance of the ECC, which is tantamount to a go-signal to start nickel mining, is the height of insensitivity and arrogance because the local government units and all sectors in Mindoro Occidental and Mindoro Oriental are united against this activity due to the environmental havoc that it could bring to the agriculture-rich island.

“Environment and natural resources authorities should have disallowed the mining project because water-sheds are protected areas and are off-limits to mining,” the minority leader said.

“The authority of the DENR to issue mining permits should be exercised based on what is good for the people from whom all the powers of government emanates.”

In fact, Pimentel said the duty of the government to protect uphold the general welfare of the citizens as enshrined in the 1987 Constitution and the Local government Code.

Likewise, he said the Mining Code of l995 specifically provides the consent of the indigenous people and other residents of communities around the mining sites before the government can allow any mining operation.

Pimentel said the nickel project of the Intex Mining Corporation can by no means be justified because it would endanger the critical watershed reservation areas in the mountain range between Mindoro Occidental and Mindoro Oriental.

He said the degradation and destruction of the protected watershed areas would threaten the irrigation of vast agricultural lands, specially ricefields, and pollute the source of drinking water for the local populace.

Pimentel reminded DENR Secretary Lito Atienza that one of his predecessors, former Secretary Heherson Alvarez, in fact, cancelled the permit for the Mindoro Nickel Project in 2002 because it would cause “irreparable damage to the environment which will cost human lives, health and livelihood capacity of our farmers and fisherfolk, endangering the food security of our people.”

“The DENR’s action in allowing the nickel mining operation defies logic because the law invoked by the mining proponents, the Mining Code expressly provides that watershed reservations are closed to all kinds of mining, logging and quarrying activities,” he said.

He said mining invariably involves the cutting of trees in the forest and the use of toxic chemical substances. Aside from this, he said mine tailings are dumped into the rivers that not only poison and pollute the waters but also cause heavy siltation of waterways.

Pimentel stressed that while mining may be a source of wealth that can stimulate the economy, it should be done following the best practices of the world.

Pimentel was informed by Mindoro Occidental Governor Josefina Sato that the legislative councils of her province, as well as affected municipalities, have passed ordinances banning any form of mining but this failed to dissuade the DENR from issuing the ECC to the mining venture.

He commended Gov. Sato and other local government executives for holding their ground in opposing the mining project.

Sato complained to Pimentel that Atienza, instead of looking into their appeal to stop the Mindoro Mining Project, rebuked them for their stand and told them to respect the authority of the DENR to grant mining permits.

Pimentel underscored the need for the government to reorient its mining policy in the light of the massive devastations triggered by recent typhoons, which were aggravated by landslides caused by soil erosion which could be partly traced to indiscriminate mining activities.

Source: Senate of the Philippines