A COALITION of tribal groups in Surigao provinces yesterday petitioned the Supreme Court to stop the operations of five Chinese mining companies whose open-pit nickel mining activities have allegedly polluted bodies of water, destroyed rich marine resources and caused illnesses to residents in the area.
In their petition for a writ of kalikasan, the petitioners led by the Tribal Coalition of Mindanao Inc. (Tricom) asked the high court to immediately issue a temporary environment protection order, the equivalent of a temporary restraining order in criminal cases.
They also asked the magistrates to nullify all mining permits, licenses and agreements to prevent further destruction purportedly caused by the open-pit mining activities in Surigao provinces.
“We are appealing to the Supreme Court to help us save our lands, our water and our people from the destructive mining operations of these Chinese companies,” Victoriano Vidal, the group’s spokesperson, told reporters after filing the 22-page petition.
“The government must quickly act on this problem and help us revive the destroyed mangroves and coral reefs in Surigao. We should move now to save other people from suffering diseases,” Vidal continued.
Named respondents in the petition were Taganito Mining Corp., Platinum Group Metals Corp., Oriental Synergy Mining Corp., Shenzhou Mining Group Corp. and Marcventures Mining and Development Corp.
Also asked to explain on the issue were Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, National Commission on Indigenous People regional chief Dominador Gomez, Mines and Geosciences Bureau regional director Alilo Ensomo Jr., Environmental Management Bureau regional officer Ester Olavides and the provincial governments of Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte.
In their petition, the group claimed the mining firms “deliberately failed” to build concrete sedimentation and siltation dams to prevent the siltation of bodies of water near the mining operations in Claver, Surigao del Norte and the towns of Carascal and Cantilan in Surigao del Sur.
Instead of building safety barriers, the tribal groups lamented that the respondents used the system of rivers and creeks in the area as “nickel extended siltation dam.” They said the mining firms also used the bodies of water as “place for nickel stock piles.”
Because of this, they said at least nine major rivers straddling a 50-kilometer portion of the area became silted, with orange-colored deposits found in river basins.
“Thus, respondent-mining companies’ irresponsible and illegal mining operations inevitably resulted in the siltation or pollution of coastal waters .., irreversibly damaged marine resources … and created serious health problems (to the petitioners),” the group said.
They added: “(Residents) who ate fishes and shells … caught within the a few meters from the coastal waters … suffered difficulties in breathing, skin rashes, vomiting and (intestinal problems).”
The tribal groups also accused the Chinese firms of desecrating their burial grounds, prayer areas, sacred mountains, hunting grounds and other places considered as cultural heritage areas.
“Respondent mining companies have already profited even without obtaining a free, prior and informed consent from the tribes,” they said.
They said Paje and other environment officials “simply closed their eyes” to the mining firms’ violations and disregarded the complaints they repeatedly filed before the concerned government offices.
“Unfortunately, herein public respondents have purposely disregarded the petitioners’ and tribes’ legitimate concerns affecting the environment,” they said.