Pichay sued; illegal miners blamed
The Claver Mineral Development Corp. (CMDC) has accused illegal mining groups ousted last February by a court order from its mining claim in Carrascal, Surigao del Sur as being behind a smear campaign against the mining company and Surigao del Sur First District Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr.
CMDC president Cesar Detera also denied that the mining company was engaging in illegal operations and that it refused to give indigenous peoples their rightful share of revenues from mineral operations in their ancestral lands.
“The truth is, CMDC under new management since October last year is proceeding with its rehabilitation of its mine site in accordance with all mining regulations and pertinent laws, including the Indigenous People’s Rights Act of 1997,” said Detera.
On Friday, two tribal chieftains sued Pichay for his alleged illegal takeover of the nickel mine and subsequent eviction of indigenous people from their ancestral land.
In a 16-page complaint, Datu James Biol of the Manobo tribe and Datu Reynante Buklas of the Mamanwa tribe accused Pichay of resorting to fraud to gain control of CMDC, which the tribesfolk had permitted to operate a 433-hectare mine site at Barangay Cagdianao, Claver, Surigao del Norte.
CMDC officials welcomed the filing of a case with the Ombudsman on Friday.
But company officials said those who filed the case included an illegal miner operating within the CMDC mining claim and ordered ousted by the local court earlier this year.
Detera said there were actually several other indigenous people’s groups seeking their share from the operation of CMDC. Thus, CMDC has coordinated with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to identify which indigenous people’s groups are entitled to a share in its operations.
Court sheriffs in February removed a group of illegal miners after CMDC won an ejectment case with the Metropolitan Trial Court in Cantillan, Surigao del Sur. The group included Datu James Biol of Agusan del Sur. —WITH A REPORT BY VINCE F. NONATO
