Groups mourn killing of antimining local exec, pal in Surigao

ILIGAN CITY, LANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines — Environmental groups have condemned the killing of a staunch antimining advocate and his companion in Surigao del Sur on Sunday.

Alberto Cuartero, village chair of Barangay Puyat in Carmen town, and Ronde Asis were shot dead by still unidentified assailants in the nearby municipality of Madrid.

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The Madrid police called on people who may have witnessed the shooting in Barangay Linibunan to help investigators identify and track down the perpetrators.

‘Deep void’

Cuartero, who was in his late 40s, was one of the local voices protesting the wanton destruction of Carmen’s natural environment by mining operations.

He once helped expose bogus documents brandished by a mining proponent claiming to have earned the community’s consent to be affected.

Civil society leader Chito Trillanes described Cuartero as “a faithful servant of the people and a strong defender of the environment.

“His death left a deep void in our community and in each of our hearts,” Trillanes said in a social media post.

Most dangerous

“We are enraged that another environmental and human rights defender has been felled and now joins the ranks of hundreds of activists killed in the country,” said a statement from the antimining group Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM).

ATM cited the recent Global Witness report that again ranked the Philippines as “the most dangerous country in Asia” for environmental activists.

From 2012 to 2023, a total of 298 environmental activists in the country were killed, accounting for 64 percent of the 468 total across Asia, according to the report.

“The abduction of land and environmental defenders in Southeast Asia has emerged as a critical issue, reflecting broader systemic efforts by power holders to suppress dissent and maintain control over land and resources,” the report, titled “Missing Voices,” noted.

ATM called on authorities to conduct “a serious investigation on the murder of the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.”

“We demand that police officials undertake all efforts to resolve this brutal killing. We further call on the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Commission on Human Rights to (also) investigate the matter,” ATM said.

Town in mourning

Since Monday, the Philippine flag had been at half-staff at the Carmen local government center as a sign of mourning for Cuartero’s death.

“The local government unit of Carmen strongly condemns and deeply mourns the unjust death of Hon. Alberto O. Cuartero, Barangay Captain of Puyat,” the municipal government said in a statement.

“As government officials, serving the people is our top priority. However, it saddens us to realize that there are individuals who seek to hinder the plans aimed at the welfare and development of our community,” it added. —with reports from Ryan D. Rosauro and Gillian Villanueva