Stop Vizcaya mining, bishop asks GMA
By Melvin Gascon, Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:04:00 03/25/2008
DUPAX DEL NORTE, NUEVA VIZCAYA – A Catholic bishop has called on President Macapagal-Arroyo to order the suspension of operations of an Australian mining project, following alleged violations of human rights it has committed against indigenous peoples in the province.
Bishop Ramon Villena, who played host to Ms Arroyo during his 69th birthday celebration here on Monday, said OceanaGold Philippines Inc. should be stopped until its alleged abuses were investigated and resolved.
“It is not yet too late to stop the project because they have not started operations. If we don’t stop this company now, there will be graver abuses, more blood will flow,” said Villena, who Ms Arroyo appointed in 2006 as chair of the Regional Development Council for Cagayan Valley.
‘Atrocious’
He made the call after the shooting of a resident in Kasibu town on Black Saturday by one of OceanaGold’s security guards, as a 200-member demolition team swooped down on Didipio village to resume dismantling of houses there.
In a statement aired over the church-owned dwRV Radio Veritas, Villena condemned the “atrocious” and “monstrous” acts supposedly being carried out by the company, which, he said, were being made even worse by its apparent attempts of a coverup.
The Inquirer tried to reach Ramoncito Gozar, OceanaGold vice president for communications and external affairs, on Tuesday but calls to his mobile phone were unanswered.
‘Exaggerated’
In an interview on Sunday, however, Gozar lamented that Villena might have reacted the way he did because he was being fed “inaccurate” and “exaggerated” reports by antimining residents.
Gozar said the company was “peacefully” doing dismantling activities on the property that it has already paid for, all in accordance with the Mining Act of 1995.
OceanaGold, an Australian firm, is trying to conduct large-scale mining operations in Didipio. The gold-copper operations are one of the 23 projects being pushed by the government in its bid to revitalize the mining industry.
Despite his close relationship with Ms Arroyo, Villena said he remained steadfast in his crusade against mining, especially large-scale projects carried out by foreign mining companies.
He said the “tragedy” of OceanaGold’s demolition activities and the shooting of Didipio resident Emilio Pumihic were being aggravated by the firm’s apparent attempts to downplay the incidents.
Guimaras experience
“The company is now wielding its octopus hands and power in order to overwhelm and oppress the people and disregard their human rights,” he said.
“These human rights violations are indicative of the fact, a sign [of] what we have been telling all along that mining is very destructive and many more destruction will follow if we allow it,” he added.
Another Australian company is facing opposition in Guimaras, an island province that was recently all but devastated by an oil spill.
The Fil-Asian Strategic Resources and Properties Corp. (FASRPC) is seeking to explore Guimaras for gold and copper.
“The people have already voiced out their opposition and we will stand by it,” Mayor Alejandro Araneta of Nueva Valencia town told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.
‘Not intrusive’
Araneta said an overwhelming number of residents who attended a public hearing conducted last week by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources signed a position paper opposing the FASRPC application for exploration permit.
The municipal council of Nueva Valencia also expressed its opposition to the exploration project through a resolution.
Ed Coronel, FASRPC vice president for corporate affairs, said they would continue to “dialogue” with the officials and residents opposing the project.
Coronel said exploration activities are “not intrusive” and involve only taking water and rock samples.
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