WHAT WENT BEFORE

Aside from the case filed in Nevada, seven damage claims and environmental complaints have been filed separately by Marinduque residents in Philippine courts against the mining corporation and its officials.

Among these is the case filed by Calancan fishermen in July 2004 against Placer Dome that was junked by a Marinduque Regional Trial Court in August 2013. The court, however, denied the motion to dismiss the charges against Marcopper, which was a correspondent in the class suit. Marcopper had ceased operating after the 1996 mine disaster.

In May 2009, the Supreme Court ordered the mining company to pay at least P36 million in taxes to the Marinduque provincial government. The Supreme Court ruled on a technicality over the use of the land.

On March 8, 2011, the Supreme Court also issued a writ of kalikasan in favor of three residents who sued Placer Dome Inc. and Barrick Gold on behalf of the victims of the mining disaster.  —MARIELLE MEDINA, INQUIRER RESEARCH

Sources: Inquirer Archives, “Access to Justice Case Studies: Marcopper Mining in Marinduque” by Miguel Magalang in academia.edu