House probes Aussie mining firm's ‘abuses’ in Nueva Vizcaya
By Melvin Gascon
Northern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 16:19:00 05/30/2008
SOLANO, Nueva Vizcaya -- The House committee on cultural communities has launched an investigation into the alleged abuses committed by an Australian mining firm against indigenous people in an upland village in Kasibu town.
House Resolution No. 594, filed by Bayan Muna (People First) Representative Teodoro Casiño, seeks to look into the alleged illegal demolition of houses and ejection of Ifugao and Bugkalot residents in Didipio village as OceanaGold Philippines Inc. clears the land for its planned $117-million gold-copper project.
"Tribal residents have expressed disgust over the rapid loss of their rice lands amid the clearing operations by OceanaGold. Village officials have also denounced the alleged haphazard destruction of their water sources," the resolution said.
The probe of OceanaGold is the second to be conducted by the House committee involving foreign-owned mining projects in Nueva Vizcaya.
In September, the panel began an investigation into the operations of Royalco Resources Inc., also an Australian firm, amid allegations of fraud and bribery, and the use of armed men against Bugkalot, Ibaloi and Kalanguya residents in nearby Pa-o and Kakidugen villages.
Nueva Vizcaya Representative Carlos Padilla said members of the House panel, chaired by Benguet Representative Samuel Dangwa, would visit the two mining areas on June 6 and 7 to conduct public hearings on the issues surrounding the mining activities. The hearings have been reset from May 29.
"The results of these investigations will allow us to look at the defects of the 1995 Philippine Mining Act. We can also recommend the filing of charges against these mining companies if they are found to have violated our laws," Padilla said.
Since Sunday, the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) has been trying to reach Ramoncito Gozar, OceanaGold vice president for communications and external affairs, for comment but he would not take calls on his cell phone or respond to text messages.
But in earlier interviews, Gozar said OceanaGold always welcomes investigations into its activities by government agencies to give the company the opportunity to clarify the issues.
He said the company's activities are all sanctioned by the financial and technical assistance agreement (FTAA) granted to it by the Philippine government.
Padilla said the House probe would enable the public to have access to important documents concerning the Didipio project.
"We have initial findings of numerous violations on the FTAA granted to OceanaGold. This will be proven once we get hold of these documents," he said.
In his resolution, Casiño cited the growing opposition to the company's operations in Didipio, led by Bishop Ramon Villena and the Catholic church, Didipio and Kasibu leaders, civil society groups and the provincial government.
"Villena, who also chairs the regional development council of Cagayan Valley, has opposed the Didipio project, saying it does not follow the Arroyo administration's goal of developing Northern Luzon as an agribusiness hub," Casiño said.
Since last month, the provincial government and OceanaGold have been embroiled in a dispute over the latter's refusal to pay around P28 million in sand and gravel taxes.
The company has stood firm in defying the April 9 cease-and-desist order (CDO) issued by Governor Luisa Cuaresma, citing a directive from Environment Secretary Jose Atienza to resume operations.
In his May 14 letter to Patrick Goodfellow, OceanaGold country president, Atienza asked the firm to resume its operations, including its earth-moving activities.
He said Cuaresma's order was illegal because under the FTAA, OceanaGold is exempt from securing a quarry permit and that it did not have to pay sand and gravel taxes.
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