‘Cyber-Perling’ declines Church refuge

GONZAGA, Cagayan, Philippines—The antimining activist, who was arrested here for libel arising from a Facebook post, has declined offers by the Catholic Church to provide her sanctuary despite threats to her life supposedly due to her opposition to black-sand mining here.

Esperlita Garcia, 62, said she did not want people to think that she had gone into hiding, which might embolden her enemies to silence other antimining activists.

“[Seeking refuge] may lead my enemies to claim victory and publicly announce that they have succeeded in frightening me. I am very grateful for the show of concern, but I have to decline it,” she said, referring to the offer made by priests in the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao.

Garcia, who is out on bail for libel charges filed by Mayor Carlito Pentecostes Jr., said she feels safe staying in her house in Calayan village here.

Garcia, who is running for mayor against Pentecostes, said she has been taking safety precautions whenever she leaves her house. “I make it a point that my allies know that I am just around, but at the same time, not make myself an easy target for criminals,” she said.

She also declined to seek the help of police. Former Cagayan Rep. Manuel Mamba, head of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, said security measures are in place for Garcia when she is arraigned today at the Regional Trial Court Branch 9 in Aparri town.

Her supporters in the Federation of Environmental Advocates (Feac), an alliance of people’s organizations in Cagayan, were alarmed over reports that Garcia’s assassination was being planned.

Garcia said she received information that she would be harmed if she did not soften her stance against magnetite mining in Gonzaga.

“Plan A was supposedly to have me killed. Plan B was for the group to kill someone from the black-sand mining industry and have the gunman point to me as the mastermind,” she said.

This prompted Fr. Manuel Catral, head of the Diocesan Social Action Center, to offer refuge to Garcia. Earlier, two strangers came to her house and asked for her whereabouts.

“But I am not afraid to die. I wish to thank our priests for the offer but if fighting against [these proponents of black-sand mining] would cause my death, then so be it. I am old, anyway,” she said.

Pentecostes laughed off Garcia’s claims that she is being threatened. “Who in his right mind would even think of harming [Garcia]? She is a nobody,” said the mayor.