Group asks SC to halt Ilocos-Pangasinan shoreline mining

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MANILA, Philippines—Public officials and concerned citizens on Friday asked the Supreme Court to stop the large scale mining operations of magnetite ore in the Ilocos-Pangasinan coastline.

In its petition for the issuance of a writ of kalikasan, petitioners led by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, Bayan Muna party list Rep. Teddy Casino, Kabataan party list Rep. Raymond Palatino, Gabriela party list Reps. Luzviminda Ilagan and Emerciana de Jesus, ACT party list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Santa, Ilocos Sur Mayor Jeremy Jesus Bueno III, and Salcedo, Ilocos Sur Mayor Leonofre Gironella urged the high court to issue a temporary environmental protection order (TEPO).

Petitioners also asked the high court to cancel the Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) grated to Altamina Exploration and Resources Incorporated (ALTAMINA) for being “unconstitutional, illegal and for having been signed and approved with grave abuse of discretion.”

“The approval of the FTAA on June 29, 2010 is mired with irregularities of which is the failure to conduct community consultations, endorsement from affected local government units, and the signing of former Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza of the agreement in behalf of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The Constitution and the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 clearly states that FTAAs should be approved by the President of the Republic of the Philippines,” petitioners said.

“Despite the formal objections filed with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) against mining applications by the City Government of Vigan and the various pronouncements of opposition by affected local government units, non-government organizations, people’s organizations, and church institutions, the MGB still issued mining permits,” petitioner added.

Petitioners fear danger to the lives and property of residents, massive residential displacement, saltwater flooding, landslides, weakening or destruction of the natural defenses and barriers of coastal communities, and the loss of fishing livelihood rights due to the exploration and mining operations.

“The environmental damage that will be caused by the approval of the two exploration permits and the FTAA… and the subsequent conduct of exploration and mining operations will affect the residents of Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, particularly the municipalities of Santa and Santa Catalina and the City of Vigan, Ilocos Sur,” the petition read.
In fact, petitioners said residence of barangays Subec, Paratong, Sinabaan, Pangada, Cabaroan, Tamorong, Cabittaogan, and Poblacion Sta. Catalina are already experiencing “massive and worsening coastal erosions and shoreline retreat since 2010 by around 150 meters from 2011 to 2012, and 100 meters from Jan. to Feb. this year in Paratong and Tamorong.

They pointed out that magnetite or locally termed ‘black sand,’ is an “important mineral that keep sand particles heavier and more compressed” thus serving as a natural barrier of land surfaces and fresh water deposits from seawater and ensures that seawater is at a lever lower than land surface area.

Respondents to the petition are Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Sec. Ramon Jesus Paje.